Field Artist Help
This is a hypertext help file, so it displays in your browser just like a regular web page. You do not have to close the help file to continue using Field Artist unless you want to. You don't have to be online to use the help file.
Because this help file is a web page, you can click on the links in the help file to explore other topics. The links are always underlined and in a different color than the regular text.
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The help file is organized like a tree. Each topic can have other topics beneath it. What you see at the top of each page is a row of links which show where you are and can take you back up the levels of the tree, or all the way back to the top, which is where you are right now.
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If you are new to Field Artist, click the "Start Here" link below to get started.
There are also a series of how-to videos on YouTube. It is highly recommended that you watch all of these videos. They are collected as a playlist on the FieldArtistSoftware YouTube channel. Subscribe to the channel to be alerted when new help videos are added. Click here to go to the FieldArtistSoftware YouTube channel.
If you want to see some more video demonstrations of how to use Field Artist, click the link below for how-to videos. These how-to videos are on the Field Artist web site, so you have to be connected to the internet to view them.
Click Here For How-To Videos (must be connected to the internet)
Start Here
Concepts
Screen Panels
Field Views
Dialogs
Toolbar Buttons
Menus
Keystroke Shortcuts
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>> Field Artist Help
Start Here
This section is to get you familiar with the basic concepts of forms, cast and animation in Field Artist. Once you understand how this part works, the rest should be pretty easy. Just click on the links below and do each task in order, and you will know how to produce sets, forms, and animation.
Start Here -- Draw A Form
Start Here - Add Cast To A Form
Start Here - Transition A Form
Start Here - Finish The Transition
Start Here - Create A Pivot Transition
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>> Field Artist Help >> Start Here
Start Here -- Draw A Form
The largest panel in the middle of your screen is the main field view. When you begin Field Artist for the first time, it opens a demo show. Every other time you start Field Artist, it opens the same show that you had open when you were last using it. If you choose New from the File menu, it displays an empty field. The status panel near the bottom tells you that you are on step 0 ( the first step in your show ).
For the purposes of this short tutorial, create a new show now. Choose New from the File menu.
You will be asked if you want to remove your current cast. Click Yes. You will be asked if you want to revert to default uniforms. Click No. You will be asked if you want to add a default cast. Click No. Now you will end up with an empty field.
The row of iconic buttons near the top is the toolbar. It allows you to choose the tools you need to do most things in Field Artist. The toolbar buttons are grouped together by function.
If you hover over the buttons with the mouse, each one shows a short text window that tells you what it is used for. This also works for most other controls in Field Artist.
Find the toolbar button that looks like a line segment with two handles on the ends. This is the line tool.
To draw your line, just click and drag anywhere in the football field. Click and hold with the left button, drag the mouse to where you want the line to end, and release. Now you have a line.
To select your line, choose the forms selection tool from the toolbar. It's the one that looks like an arrow.
If you want to move the entire line you have to first select it, then click and drag it somewhere along its length (not on the handles).
Now click anywhere on the line. You will see it in a different color. If you click on the open area, you will deselect the line and it goes back to its normal color.
Notice that the handles on the end of the line only appear when it is selected. Those are for resizing the line using your mouse. To move the endpoints of the line, click and drag the handles with the mouse.
Click on the Start Here link near the top of this topic, to go back to the Start Here section. Or click here to go to the next step.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Start Here
Start Here - Add Cast To A Form
To add cast members to the form you drew, right click on the line. You can right click anywhere along its length, as long as it is not on a handle. You can see the color of the form change when your mouse is positioned so as to be touching it - this behavior is called rollover - this helps you know where to right click.
When you right click, you see a popup menu with choices that only apply to forms. Choose "Add Cast" from the menu.
The dialog that appears has a default number of cast members filled in, based on the length of the form you drew and the default spacing. You can change the number if you want. Then press the OK button to add your cast members.
Click here to go to the next step.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Start Here
Start Here - Transition A Form
Right click on the form you just added cast members to and choose "Transition" from the popup menu.
There are different transition modes you can choose. The default mode is Float. Just leave it as the default for now.
You will see the default number of steps for the transition is set to 32. Just leave it as 32 for now.
Press the OK button to complete the maneuver. You will notice that some things have changed. In the timeline panel at the bottom, there are some vertical marks that indicate 32 steps. The status panel has changed to show step 32, which is where you are now.
Instead of having one form in your show, you now have two forms, one on step 0 and one on step 32. The form has not moved in space, only in time. To create motion, you have to move the form to a new location. Do this by first clicking on it once to select it, then clicking and dragging the line to a new location.
When you move the new form, you may see some dashed lines that indicate the paths your cast members will follow for this transition. If you do not see the dashed lines, you can turn on paths from the View Options Menu Choice There is also a keystroke shortcut for turning paths on or off. To do this, just press 'p' on your keyboard.
Choose the link at the top to return to the Start Here section and do the next step. Or click here to go to the next step.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Start Here
Start Here - Finish The Transition
The transition chooses a default location for your new form, but you can move it to where you need it to go.
To move your form, click and drag it with the mouse, to any location on the field.
As you move the form, you will see that the paths get updated to show where the cast members will travel.
If you move the form too far from where the previous form was, the paths turn a different color to indicate that you have exceeded the maximum step.
Once you have the form where you want it, hit the rewind button on the toolbar to return to step 0. Then hit the Play button to show the animation from step 0 to step 32. The animation will stop when it gets to the end.
Use the mouse to drag back and forth in the timeline at the bottom. You can see how, using the timeline at the bottom, you can review the motion you have created.
Go to the File Menu and choose Save As, to save your new show.
Click here to go to the next step.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Start Here
Start Here - Create A Pivot Transition
Make sure you go to the end of your new show, at the end of the last set you created. Do this by clicking on the final set in the history panels at the top.
Choose the rotate tool from the toolbar by pressing the Rotate Forms Toolbar Button.
Choose a form to rotate. If the form is not already selected, click anywhere along its length to select it.
You should see a circle within a circle somewhere at or near the form. This is the rotation point.
Right click on the form and choose the popup menu command that says "Center Rotation Point"
The rotation point should now be at the center.
Notice that when you roll over either the rotation point or the form outline with your mouse pointer, both the outline and the rotation point turn a different color.
Plan a pivot transition that will keep your form on the field. You are going to rotate the form about the pivot point you define by moving the rotation point. Drag the rotation point to any spot you want to pivot about. Plan to pivot the formation either clock wise or counter-clockwise.
Now right click on the form and choose Transition from the popup menu. Choose the radio button for Pivot and fill in the number of degrees you want to rotate. If you want to go clockwise, then check the box for clockwise. Otherwise leave it unchecked.
Enter a number of steps you want this transition to take. Notice that when you enter the number of steps in the dialog, the ending step automatically changes.
Now press ok. You will have a pivot transition. You will notice that there are more marks in the time line now. As before, you can drag your mouse back and forth in the timeline to see the animation. You can also use the animation buttons at the top to play the show. Use the rewind button, then the play button to see the animation.
If you want to set the tempo of the animation for your show, you can use the Animation Options Menu Choice which will display a dialog that lets you set animation tempo and other options.
Click here for a list of all transition types including follow the leader.
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>> Field Artist Help
Concepts
This is an overview of some of the concepts you need to know to get around Field Artist.
Views
Mouse
Forms
Rotation Points
Cast
Sets
Transitions
Paths
Animation
Drawing
Uniforms / Equipment / Props
Songs
Sections
Step Instructions
Printing
Text Notes
Comments
Field
Performance And Speed
Tarps
Video
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Views
There are three views of your show in Field Artist. All three views can display animation.
The 2D or overhead view shows an animated drill chart. This is where will create your show and do most of your editing.
The Draft 3D or Perspective view is a perspective view which can be displayed quickly. You can also edit forms in this view.
You can switch from the 2D to the draft 3D views by using the 3D toolbar button.
The TrueView if a full 3D animated view in which some forms and cast editing can done. This view is mostly for reviewing your show, creating flag movements, and making videos.
You can switch TrueView on or off by toggling the TrueView toolbar button.
Click here for more detailed information about the three field views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Mouse
In Field Artist, almost all of your drawing and editing is done with the mouse. So this section will review basic mouse techniques.
There are several different tools you can use to perform different tasks. The mouse pointer will change shape to help let you know what tool you have chosen.
Mouse Tools
Click
Double Click
Dragging
Right Click
Rollover
Hover
Mouse Wheel
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Mouse Tools
Mouse Tools allow your mouse to do different jobs in Field Artist.
All of the tools can be selected by using buttons on the toolbar, but not all the toolbar buttons invoke a mouse tool.
When a tool is in effect, the toolbar button for that tool stays pressed down until you choose a different tool.
The mouse pointer changes shape to let you know which tool is in effect.
Here is a list of the mouse tools:
Select Forms Mouse Tool
Rotate Forms Mouse Tool
Select Cast Mouse Tool
Lasso Select Mouse Tool
Shift Cast Members Mouse Tool
Custom Path Mouse Tool
Tape Measure Mouse Tool
Draw Line Mouse Tool
Draw Ellipse Mouse Tool
Draw Rectangle Mouse Tool
Draw Arc Mouse Tool
Draw Arc 2 Mouse Tool
Draw Open Polygon Mouse Tool
Draw Closed Polygon Mouse Tool
Draw Bezier Curve Mouse Tool
Draw Hermite Curve Mouse Tool
Text Notes Mouse Tool
Slider Mouse Tool
Select Area Mouse Tool
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Select Forms Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to select, scale, and move forms.
To change to the Select Forms tool, press the toolbar button for selecting forms, which looks like an arrow. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Rotate Forms Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to rotate and scale forms.
To change to the Rotate Forms tool, press the toolbar button for rotating forms, which looks like a circular arrow. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Select Cast Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to select and move cast members.
To change to the Select Cast tool, press the toolbar button for selecting cast, which looks like a cartoon face. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Lasso Select Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to select cast members by drawing a lasso around them.
To change to the Lasso tool, press the toolbar button for Lasso, which looks like some tiny blocks with a line around two of them. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Shift Cast Members Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to shift cast members on a form.
To change to the Shift Cast tool, press the toolbar button for shifting cast, which looks like 4 tiny blocks with arrows on them. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Custom Path Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw custom paths.
To change to the Custom Path tool, press the toolbar button for Custom Paths, which looks like an arrow in a square loop. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Tape Measure Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to take measurements on the field.
To change to the Tape Measure tool, press the toolbar button for tape measure, which looks like portion of a ruler. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Line Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw straight lines.
To change to the Draw Line tool, press the toolbar button for drawing lines, which looks like a line with two control points on the ends. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Ellipse Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw ellipses.
To change to the Draw Ellipse tool, press the toolbar button for drawing ellipses, which looks like a circle with control points. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Rectangle Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw rectangles.
To change to the Draw Rectangle tool, press the toolbar button for drawing rectangles, which looks like a rectangle figure. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Arc Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw arcs.
To change to the Draw Arc tool, press the toolbar button for drawing arcs, which looks like an arc with 7 control points. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Arc 2 Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw circular arcs.
To change to the Draw Arc 2 tool, press the toolbar button for drawing circular arcs, which looks like an arc with 3 control points. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Open Polygon Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw open polygons.
To change to the Draw Open Polygon tool, press the toolbar button for drawing open polygons, which looks like a polygon figure. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Closed Polygon Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw closed polygons.
To change to the Draw Closed Polygon tool, press the toolbar button for drawing closed polygon, which looks like a polygon with its interior filled. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Bezier Curve Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw curves.
To change to the Draw Bezier Curve tool, press the toolbar button for drawing curves, which looks like a curved figure. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Draw Hermite Curve Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to draw Hermite curves. Hermite curves are different from Bezier curves in that the control points lie on the curve. Hermite curves can also be open or closed.
To change to the Draw Hermite Curve tool, press the toolbar button for drawing Hermite curves, which looks like a curved figure with the handles on the curve. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Text Notes Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to add and edit text notes on your charts.
To change to the Text tool, press the toolbar button for text, which looks like a capital letter 'T'. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Slider Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to do panning, zooming, and rotation of your view of the field.
To change to the Slider tool, press the toolbar button for slider, which looks like a four headed arrow. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse >> Mouse Tools
Select Area Mouse Tool
This tool allows you to select an area to zoom in on.
To change to the Select Area tool, press the toolbar button for select area, which looks like rectangle and a tiny magnifying glass. You can hover your mouse over each toolbar button to see a short description of what each one does. Most of the buttons are grouped together by similar function.
Note the shape the mouse pointer changes to when this tool is selected.
Click this link for a description of how to use the tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Click
To click on an object ( a form or a cast member ) is to position the mouse pointer over that object and click once ( press and release ) with the left mouse button.
You can select forms in Field Artist by clicking on them. If you hold down the Shift key or the Ctrl key, it will not deselect forms that are already selected. This allows you to select more than one form by using the Shift or Ctrl key when you click on them. The same thing works for cast members.
When clicking on forms, you have to click on the OUTLINE of the form, not the area in its middle. When you click on a cast member, you can click anywhere on the cast member shape.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Double Click
To double click is to click twice in rapid succesion with the left mouse button.
You can double click on a point handle of a curve or polygon to delete the point.
You can double click on a segment of a curve or polygon to add a point.
You always double click to end when you are drawing a polygon or curve.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Dragging
Dragging objects is a way to move forms around the screen or change their shape. It is also a way to move cast members to different forms.
To drag an object, position it over the form or cast member and press and hold down with the left mouse button, then move the object to where you want it to go and release the mouse button.
Moving Forms
Assigning Cast To Forms
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Right Click
If you right click on a form or a cast member, you get a popup menu of option that allow you to change its properties or perform other actions.
To right click on an object ( a form or a cast member ) is to position the mouse pointer over that object and click once ( press and release ) with the right mouse button.
When clicking on forms, you have to click on the OUTLINE of the form, not the area in its middle. When you click on a cast member, you can click anywhere on the cast member shape.
Cast Popup Menu
Forms Popup Menu
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Rollover
Field artist has rollover colors to let you know when your mouse pointer is over a cast member or form.
When your mouse is positioned over the form outline, the form handles, or the cast members, they turn a different color. This makes it easier to see where to position your mouse pointer when you want to select and move forms or cast members, or to drag and drop cast members.
Select Forms Toolbar Button
Select Cast Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Hover
To Hover is to position the mouse over an area and leave it in one place. Many of the buttons, fields and panels in Field Artist will display information about what they are used for, if you hover over them with the mouse.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Mouse
Mouse Wheel
Turning the mouse wheel while holding the CTRL key down lets you zoom in or out.
Turning the mouse wheel by itself moves the field up or down.
Turning the mouse wheel with the SHIFT key down moves the field from side to side.
In True View, using the mouse wheel to move the field from side to side or up and down causes the camera to no longer point at the center of the field. To restore the camera to its normal position, use the Choose Camera Position Menu Item from the View Menu and click 'Normal' (The shortcut for this is CTRL+H)
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Forms
Forms are the shapes on the field that make up sets. A set is made up of one or more forms. Cast members are assigned to forms and maintain equal spacing along the length of the form ( except on Free Forms ). You can select cast members to drag and drop them between other cast members to change their order on the form. You can also drop cast members from one form to a different form using the Select Cast Toolbar Button
If you right click on a form, you can change its properties.
You can select one or more forms with cast members and use the Transition command to create transitions.
In TrueView, forms are only available if you check the "Allow Editing" box on the TrueView Options Dialog.
Closed And Open Shapes
Form Shapes
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms
Closed And Open Shapes
Closed shapes are shapes that have an enclosed area, such as a rectangle, ellipse, or a triangle or other closed polygon.
Open shapes do not enclose an area. Lines, curves, and open polygons are open shapes.
In follow transitions, the leader and trailer must be cast members on either end of the open shape.
You can choose a fill color for forms which are open shapes. This might be useful if you want a form to portray a prop in you show such as a large flag or banner.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms
Form Shapes
This section reviews the different form shapes that are available and how they are edited with the mouse.
Form shapes are edited with the mouse using handles. Form handles are only visible if the current tool can edit them. For example, if the current tool is the Select Cast Mouse Tool , form handles are not visible even when a form is selected.
Line
Rectangle
Ellipse
Arc
Arc 2
Polygon
Closed Polygon
Bezier Curve
Hermite Curve
Blocks
Free Forms
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Line
This form shape has two size handles, one at either end. You can drag either handle to change the shape, length, or orientation of the line. To move the entire line, you can drag it with the mouse. To move the line, you have to touch it anywhere along its length, but not on a handle.
Click the Draw Line Toolbar Button to draw lines.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Rectangle
When selected, this shape has 6 square size handles. The corner handles change the horizontal size and vertical size simultaneously. The 2 side handles change only the horizontal size. The top and bottom handles change only the vertical size.
Click the Draw Rectangle Menu Choice to draw this shape.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Ellipse
When selected, this shape has 6 square size handles. The corner handles change the horizontal size and vertical size simultaneously. The 2 side handles change only the horizontal size. The top and bottom handles change only the vertical size.
Click the Draw Ellipse Toolbar Button to draw this shape.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Arc
This Arc shape is good for making arcs which are segments of an ellipse or a circle. The Arc 2 shape is good for making shallow arcs, but cannot make arcs which are part of an ellipse.
When selected, this shape has 6 square size handles and two endpoint handles. The corner handles change the horizontal size and vertical size simultaneously. The 2 side handles change only the horizontal size of the ellipse. The top and bottom handles change only the vertical size of the ellipse.
The other 2 handles are on the endpoints of the arc, and they change the sweep of the arc but do not affect the size of the ellipse. They affect what part of the ellipse the arc is tracing.
Click the Draw Arc Toolbar Button to draw this shape.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Arc 2
The Arc 2 is a second kind of arc shape that is more suitable for making arcs that are segments of a round circle ( not elliptical ). This second type of arc has fewer handles and is better for making shallow arcs.
This shape has 3 handles. Two of the handles are endpoints. The middle endpoint determines the depth of the arc.
Click the Draw Arc 2 Toolbar Button to draw this shape.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Polygon
To make this shape, select the polygon tool and click once for each point you want to add. For the last point, double click to end the polygon.
You can also make a polygon by dragging the mouse over the field.
You can combine the two techniques above when making your polygon.
When selected, polygons have a round point handle for every point on the polygon. If you double click on a round point handle, it deletes the point. If you double click on a segment, it adds a point to that segment.
You can drag the round point handles to change the shape of the polygon.
When selected, this shape has 6 square size handles on the sides and corners. You can scale the polygon size using the corner and side handles. The corner handles change the horizontal size and vertical size simultaneously. The 2 side handles change only the horizontal size. The top and bottom handles change only the vertical size.
If you right click on a point handle, you can see a popup menu that allows you to delete the point or add a point next to it.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Closed Polygon
The closed polygon shape works just like the open polygon, except that when you double click to finish, it automatically adds a segment from the last point to the first point.
To make this shape, select the closed polygon tool and click once for each point you want to add. For the last point, double click to end the polygon.
You can also make a polygon by dragging the mouse over the field.
You can combine the two techniques above when making your polygon.
When selected, polygons have a round point handle for every point on the polygon. If you double click on a round point handle, it deletes the point. If you double click on a segment, it adds a point to that segment.
You can drag the round point handles to change the shape of the polygon.
When selected, this shape has 6 square size handles on the sides and corners. You can scale the polygon size using the corner and side handles. The corner handles change the horizontal size and vertical size simultaneously. The 2 side handles change only the horizontal size. The top and bottom handles change only the vertical size.
If you right click on a point handle, you can see a popup menu that allows you to delete the point or add a point next to it.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Bezier Curve
To draw Bezier curves, you select the curve tool from the Toolbar.
Bezier Curves are smooth lines that are defined by control points. It is easier to handle your curves if you have fewer control points. The control points are only visible when the curve is selected. Each control point is a point handle that you can drag to move or double click to delete.
The Bezier curve line doesnt touch the control points except on the ends, but it is attracted by them and curves toward them. You can define the shape of the curve by adding, deleting, or moving control points.
Bezier Curves are best drawn by clicking once for each control point you want. You can move the control points by dragging them with the mouse when the curve is selected. Always double click to finish drawing the curve.
You can also draw a Bezier curve by dragging the mouse across the field. This method produces more points. You can combine the two methods, dragging and clicking, to produce a curve. But curves are really easier to work with when they have fewer control points, and the single click method is better.
If you want to delete a control point, you can double click on it. If you want to add a new control point, you can double click on a part of the curve line to add a point there.
The curve has 6 square sizing handles that appear when it is selected. These show the entire boundary of the curve and can be used to scale its size larger or smaller.
If you right click on a point handle, you can see a popup menu that allows you to delete the point or add a point next to it.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Hermite Curve
To draw Hermite curves, you select the curve tool from the Toolbar.
Hermite Curves are smooth lines that are defined by control points. It is easier to handle your curves if you have fewer control points. The control points are only visible when the curve is selected. Each control point is a point handle that you can drag to move or double click to delete.
The Hermite curve differs from the Bezier curve because the control points always lie on the curve. You can define the shape of the curve by adding, deleting, or moving control points.
Hermite curves can be open or closed. To change from open to closed, right click the form and click the menu choice for the Form Properties dialog, then click the Closed check box there.
In the form properties, you can also the the curve tension number, which affects the shape of the curve.
Hermite Curves are best drawn by clicking once for each control point you want. You can move the control points by dragging them with the mouse when the curve is selected. Always double click to finish drawing the curve.
You can also draw a Hermite curve by dragging the mouse across the field. This method produces more points. You can combine the two methods, dragging and clicking, to produce a curve. But curves are really easier to work with when they have fewer control points, and the single click method is better.
If you want to delete a control point, you can double click on it. If you want to add a new control point, you can double click on a part of the curve line to add a point there.
The curve has 6 square sizing handles that appear when it is selected. These show the entire boundary of the curve and can be used to scale its size larger or smaller.
If you right click on a point handle, you can see a popup menu that allows you to delete the point or add a point next to it.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Blocks
You can make a block from any closed shape.
To make a shape into a block, right click on the form to see the properties dialog. Check the box for Block and enter the desired horizontal spacing and vertical spacing.
The cast members that are assigned to that form will fill up the shape in rows and columns according to the spacing you provide.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Forms >> Form Shapes
Free Forms
Free forms are groups of cast members that don't maintain regular spacing. Instead, the cast members on a free form stay wherever you place them individually.
On most forms, you change the shape of the form and the people move to stay on the form outlines and maintain their spacing. On the free form, you move the people and the form changes its shape to stay connected to all of its cast members.
To select a free form, you click on its outline or drag a box that encloses part of it, as with any other form. You can also rotate or scale free forms like any other form.
The outline of the free form automatically adjusts to connect the cast members that belong to it. The order of the connecting line does not really matter - the line only exists to show you which cast members are grouped together.
Unlike with other forms, you can individually move the people in a free form. There are two ways to do this. The first way is with the selection pointer. When the free form is selected ( you can see its scaling handles ), just click and drag individual people with the selection pointer to move them around. They will stay in the positions you moved them to and the free form outlines will conform to their new positions.
The other way to move cast members within a free form is by selecting them with the cast selection pointer and then clicking and dragging to move the selected cast members. The free form will reshape itself to conform to the new cast positions. In this way you can move one or more selected cast members all at once.
To move cast members off of a free form and reassign them to another form, you have to use the cast selection pointer while holding the Shift key down.
Unlike the other forms, you cannot draw a free form directly using the tools. There are a few different ways to create a free form. One way is by selecting some existing cast and using the Create Formation From Selected Cast command. The Create Form From Cast Dialog that appears will allow you to choose a free form type.
Another way is by using the Add / View Cast Menu Choice which adds new cast members. When the cast members are added, a dialog will appear which allows you to choose a type of form to add them to. Free form is one of the choices.
Yet another way to create a free form is by drawing another type of form and adding cast members to it - then, right click on the form and use the Form Properties Popup Menu Choice to display the properties. When the Form Properties Dialog appears, you can choose Free Form as the shape.
You can arrange cast members on free forms into shapes by using the commands on the Cast Arrange Menu, all of which can also be accessed by keystroke shortcuts.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Rotation Points
Every form has a rotation point. The rotation point for a form is only visible when the rotation tool is in use. You can position a forms rotation point and rotate the form about its rotation point by using the rotation tool.
Rotation points are also used in creating pivot transitions. Generally speaking, during a pivot transition the performers will pivot about the form's rotation point.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Cast
Your cast is the personnel who will perform your show. In Field Artist, the cast members are represented by square symbols. You can change the size and colors of the symbols, or you can allow the cast to be represented by letter symbols instead of squares.
Cast members are usually on a form. When you move a form, the cast members automatically stick to their correct places on the form and maintain equal spacing. On a Free Form, the you move the cast members and the form will rearrange itself to connect them.
You can select cast members and change their properties using the Properties command on the Cast menu.
Use the Cast Select tool to select cast members.
Adding Cast
Adding Cast To Forms
Selecting Cast Members
Assigning Cast To Forms
Changing Cast Order On Forms
Defining Cast Names
Letter Symbols
Cast Layout Order And Selection Order
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Adding Cast
You can add cast to the show using the Add / View Cast Dialog which is available from the Add / View Cast Menu Choice.
Unassigned cast members appear at the top of the field. You can assign cast members to a form by selecting them with the cast selection tool and dragging them onto that form. If you are moving cast members from a Free Form to another form, you have to hold the shift key down while using the cast selection tool.
Select Cast Toolbar Button
Assigning Cast To Forms
Lasso Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Adding Cast To Forms
To add new cast members to a form, first select one form on your set.
Then choose the Forms Add Cast Menu Choice from the Forms menu at the top.
The Add Cast Members Dialog will appear. It defaults to the number of people for that form's length at normal spacing, but you can change the number of people you want to add.
This is a way to create and add NEW cast members to a form.
To assign existing cast members to a form, see Assigning Cast To Forms
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Selecting Cast Members
You have to use the Cast Selection tool or the Lasso tool to select cast. You can't select them with the same tool you use to select forms.
The cast selection tool is the toolbar button that looks like a face. To select cast members with this tool, you can click on the cast member you want to select. Hold the shift key down to select multiple cast members. You can also drag a box with the Cast tool to enclose cast members you want to select.
You can also use the Lasso tool to select cast members. You choose the Lasso from the toolbar. ( If you hover your mouse over the toolbar buttons, they will display messages to tell you what they are ).
To use the Lasso, draw a path with the lasso tool which encloses the people you want to select. This is useful for selecting odd groups of people that do not fit well within a box. To draw a shape with the lasso tool, either drag the mouse or make a series of single clicks. You can combine drags and single clicks. Always use double click to finish.
To deselect all cast members, just single click on an open area with the Cast tool.
All of the above applies to the 2D view and the Draft 3D view. The cast selection tool can also be used in TrueView. When in TrueView, if the Cast Tool is the current tool you can click on cast members to select them. To deselect all cast members, click on the field. Hold down the Shift key to select multiple cast members by clicking on them. You can also use the Cast Tool to drag a box on the field in TrueView and select all cast members whose feet lie within the box. You can also use the Shift key combined with this method to select multiple groups of cast members.
When you select cast with the cast selection tool, it remembers the order you selected them in. This is true whether you select them using single clicks or by dragging a selection box. The selected cast are shaded from darker to lighter to visually indicate the order they were selected in. The order you selected the performers in can be used to determine their order when you drag them to a form, or when you create a new form from selected cast. It can also be used to determine order of cast in other situations such as select skipping. You can also sort cast on a definite form (not a free form) by their selection order using the sort cast command.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Assigning Cast To Forms
To assign existing cast to a form, first choose the Cast tool.
Then select the cast members you want to assign and drag them to the form. The form outline will be highlighted when your pointer is positioned right over it. This is how you will know exactly where to drop the cast members.
When moving selected cast from a Free Form to another form, you have to hold the shift key down.
To add brand new cast to a form, right click on the form and choose "Add Cast".
You can also create a form from existing cast members. To do this, select the cast members and then use the Create Formation From Selected Cast command.
When you drag and drop cast onto a form that already has some cast members on it, you can choose which cast members to drop them between. As your mouse moves over the form, you will see rectangles appear which enclose pairs of performers. The rectangle shows you which pair of performers you are dropping the new cast members between. This method can also be used to reorder cast members on a form by clicking and dragging them from one spot on a form to a different spot on the same form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Changing Cast Order On Forms
Often you need to change the order of cast members on forms.
There are several ways to do this.
You can use the Forms Reverse Cast Menu Choice to reverse the order of cast members on a selected form.
You can select several cast members and use the Reverse Selected Cast Menu Choice to reverse the order of only those cast members you selected.
You can select a form and use the Forms Sort Cast Menu Choice to invoke the Sort Cast On Form Dialog. The dialog has several choices of different ways you can sort the cast members on the form.
You can use the Shift Cast Toolbar Button to shift the cast on the form.
Finally, you can select cast members and use the mouse to drag and drop them between other cast members. You do this by positioning the mouse between the two cast members you cant to drop them between. When you have the mouse positioned between two cast members, those two cast members will change colors and a color rectangle will be drawn which encloses the two cast members and tells you this is the place to drop the cast members you are moving. Sometimes the rectangle will be large - this can happen when the cast members are, for example, on opposite ends of a form - the cast members you drop will end up on the end of the form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Defining Cast Names
You can define an individual first and last name for every cast member.
If you want to define names for all your cast members, the easiest way is to use the Define Cast Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Letter Symbols
Cast members can have letter symbols.
Instead of displaying as a shape, cast members can display as letter symbols if you want. Choose this option from the View Options dialog.
If a cast member has no letter symbol defined, they use the letter symbol for their Section.
Use the Cast Properties dialog, the Add/View Cast dialog, or the Define Cast dialog to change letter symbols for cast members.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Cast
Cast Layout Order And Selection Order
In many commands, such as assigning cast to a form or creating a form from selected cast, the order of the cast is important.
Field Artist can, in many situations, determine the order of the cast from their layout. This is possible when cast are already arranged in a circle, line or curve with more or less even spacing and no gaps or sharp corners.
Layout order would be the first choice if for example some selected cast were being converted to an arc form or arranged into an arc shape when on a freeform.
In situations where the layout cannot be determined by the order, selection order of the cast is used as a backup. This is useful if for example you were converting a block into an arc, or transitioning a block to an arc. You can prepare by selecting the desired order for the cast on the arc form, when they are in their block shape. Then when the command is done, there can be one or more ways to use this selected order.
In the case of creating an arc from a (free) block, when the arc is created the program will automatically see that layout order cannot be used, and use the selected order instead.
In the case of transitioning from a block to an arc, you could also have the option to sort the performers on the target form (the arc), choosing "selected order" as the sort type.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Sets
Your show consists of a number of sets which appear one after another.
Every set can have one or more forms in it. A set consists of a number of forms at all appear on the same step of your show.
The Next Set and Previous Set toolbar buttons allow you to travel to the Next and Previous sets.
The history panels ( small field views ) at the top show every set in your show. If you use the arrow buttons to the right and left of the history panels, you can scroll back and forth to see earlier or later sets. If you click on a history panel, it takes you to that step.
If you want to make a set occur on an earlier or later step of the show, use the Insert / Delete Steps Dialog To make a set occur later, insert steps before that set. To make it occur sooner, delete steps before that set.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Transitions
A transition is what happens when cast members move from one set to another set.
A transition occurs between two forms on different sets separated by one or more steps (counts).
In this help file, the form where the transition begins is often called the origin form, source form, or starting form. The form where the transition ends is called the target form or ending form.
Not every performer has to be on a form on every set. Some transitions can span more than one set.
You can also create transitions in between existing setsm thereby breaking one transition up into two. In general, you do this by going to the step of the show where you want to insert a transition, drawing a form there, and dragging performers onto the new form using the select cast tool.
When you use the Transition Dialog to create a transition, you can select a transition mode on the dialog.
After a transition is created, you can change the transition mode by selecting the performers on the ENDING (target) formation, and using the Transition Mode dialog. You invoke this dialog with the Transition Mode Menu Choice on the Cast menu.
When you choose a transition, the paths for your cast members to follow are automatically generated and shown on the screen. As you move your forms around, the paths will automatically update and if they are too long ( exceed the maximum step ), they will be shown in a different color. You can turn visible paths on or off using the View Options Dialog.
If you want to alter the paths your cast members take, you can choose the Custom Path transition mode. This allows you to completely specify the paths your cast members follow for a transition, using the Custom Path Toolbar Button
The Transition command lets you create float, pivot, and standard follow the leader transitions. There are two other transition modes, Free FTL and Free Rotate. These transitions are mainly used with cast members on Free Forms.
To create a Free FTL transition, first create a new set using the Create new Set Menu Item on the Forms menu. Then create a Free FTL using the Free FTL Create Menu Item on the Cast menu.
Click the link below for a list of transition modes with more information about each one:
Transition Modes
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions
Transition Modes
Transition modes are the different ways that cast can get from one form to the next. The most common choice is float in a straight line. You also have pivots, follow the leader, and custom paths. The transition mode choices are explained below.
Float
Follow
Pivot
Custom
Free FTL
Free Rotate
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes
Float
Float mode means for each cast member to follow a straight line from his position on the previous form to his position on the next form.
If you choose the "Flex" check box for float, it means the cast members will try to maintain a minimum spacing from one another through the entire transition.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes
Follow
For a follow transition, all the cast members on the starting form and the ending form have to be part of the follow transition, and all cast members must start on the same form, and they all must end on the same form.
You can choose follow transition from the Transition dialog, or, if you select cast members on the ending form, you can change their transition mode using the Transition Mode command.
If you change cast members on a form to the Follow transition mode, you have to change all cast members on that form to follow mode.
You can define a custom path the performers will follow when they between forms. If you don't define a path, they follow a straight line from one form to the next. To define a path, first complete your follow the leader transition and then select the performers (while on the count of the target form) and use the Cast FTL Edit Menu Item to begin editing your path.
When you use this command, the path is displayed. If you had not previously defined a path for your follow the leader transition, the path will appear as a straight line from the source form to the target form. Point handles will appear on the path. You can click and drag the point handles to alter the path. To add a new point, right-click on a point handle and choose "Add Point" from the menu. To delete a point, right-click on a point handle and choose "Delete" from the menu. To change your path to a curve, right-click and check the "Curve" option on the popup menu. Uncheck this option to change the path back to a line. If the path is a curve, a "Tension" item will appear on the popup menu. Use the "Tension" command on the point handle popup menu to change the tension of your curved path by selecting a submenu item for the desired tension.
Double click to end FTL Edit mode.
When you are on the target (ending) form of a standard FTL transition, you can select a leader and/or trailer for the transition by right-clicking on a cast member with the Cast Select Tool and choosing "Leader" or "Trailer" from the popup menu.
Follow Leader
Follow Trailer
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes >> Follow
Follow Leader
The leader in the follow transition is the one in the front of the line who everyone else follows.
When you specify a follow transition, you can fill in the ID numbers of the cast members you want to be leader and trailer.
You can also right click on a cast member with the Select Cast Tool and use the popup menu to make it a leader or trailer.
If the follow transition is beginning or ending on an open form, the leader and trailer must be the cast members at either end of the form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes >> Follow
Follow Trailer
The trailer in the follow transition is the one in the rear of the line.
When you specify a follow transition, you can fill in the ID numbers of the cast members you want to be leader and trailer.
You can also right click on a cast member with the Select Cast Tool and use the popup menu to make it a leader or trailer.
If the follow transition is beginning or ending on an open form, the leader and trailer must be the cast members at either end of the form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes
Pivot
The pivot transition means that a form will be rotated through some number of degrees either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
When creating a pivot transition using the Transition Dialog, you have to fill in a number of degrees between 1 and 360. It doesn't matter if you don't know the exact number of degrees -- you can adjust it by rotating the second form of your transition using the Rotate Forms Mouse Tool. You also have to check the box for clockwise pivots or leave it unchecked for counter-clockwise pivots.
There are check boxes for "Use 1st" and "Use 2nd" beside the Pivot radio button. If you are pivoting a form without moving it across the field at the same time, you should choose "Use 1st". That way, the position of the rotation point of the form you are coming FROM determines the pivot point. The rotation point of the second form doesn't matter.
If you want to do a complex pivot transition where you move a shape down the field as you are rotating it, then you can check both boxes to use the rotation points of both the source and target forms.
To set up a pivot transition easily, start by positioning the rotation point of the origin form using the Rotate Forms Mouse Tool. Then use the Transition Menu Choice on the Forms menu to create the transition.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes
Custom
Custom transition lets you draw an exact path from one form to the next.
To make a custom transition, choose the Custom radio button on the Transition Dialog. If you check the Curve check box, the custom paths will be curves. Otherwise they will be polygons.
The transition will make paths which move straight to the ending form.
Using the Custom Path Toolbar Button, you can edit the paths by moving, deleting, or adding points to them. The cast members will follow the paths you create.
To use the Custom Path Toolbar Button, you must be on the ending set of a transition that uses custom paths.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes
Free FTL
This is a different kind of follow the leader and is not created the same way as the standard Follow transition. It is only used for cast members on free forms.
To create this transition, you have to be on the end step of an existing transition ( one way to create this is by using the Forms Set command ). Then create the transition using the Cast Free FTL Create menu item.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Transitions >> Transition Modes
Free Rotate
This is a different kind of rotate transition and is not created the same way as the standard Pivot transition. It is only used for cast members on free forms.
To create this transition, you have to be on the end step of an existing transition ( one way to create this is by using the Forms Set command ). Then create the transition using the Free Rotate Create command on the Cast Menu.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Paths
Field Artist shows you the paths your cast members will travel from one set to the next.
It shows both the past paths ( from the previous form ) and the future paths ( to the next form ).
If a path is too long and exceeds the maximum defined step size, it will show in red.
Path drawing may be slow on pivot transitions when you have a large number of people and/or a large number of steps. If the paths are drawing too slow, or you just don't want to see paths, you can turn them off using the View Options command or the Paths commands on the View Menu.
You can also define custom paths for your cast members to travel. This is done by choosing Custom as your transition mode in the Transition Dialog or the Transition Mode Dialog. You can edit custom paths using the Custom Path Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Animation
You can animate your show using the animation buttons on the tool bar.
If you add music files to your show, the animation will synchronize to the music.
If you don't want to synch to music files, the show animation speed is determined by an internal timer. You can change the speed of the internal timer on the Animation Options dialog.
Animation Toolbar Buttons
Music Dialog
Midi Device Dialog
Animated View Changes
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Animation
Animated View Changes
View changes allow you to add automatic camera motions ( panning, zooming, and rotation effects ) to your show. The effects only happen during animation of the show to an internal timer or a music file ( in other words when you hit the play button ). You can turn playback of view changes on or off using the Play View Changes Menu Item.
For more information on how to record animated view changes for your show, see the Edit View Changes Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Drawing
You create a set in Field Artist by drawing one or more shapes in the main field view. These shapes are your formations ( Forms ) that can have cast members assigned to them.
You can use the drawing tools ( accessible from the toolbar ) to draw different shaped forms, and then add cast to the forms.
You can also use the Cast tool to select cast members and drag them to different forms or different spots on the same form.
Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Selecting Forms
Selecting Cast Members
Selecting Forms
Moving Forms
Rotating Forms
Zoom
Panning
The Grid
Measuring
Drawing Form Shapes
Handles
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Selecting Forms
To select a form, your current tool needs to be the Form Selection tool. You can choose it by using the Form Selection toolbar button. It's the first button on the left.
All the toolbar buttons will display a message telling what they are for, if you hover over them with the mouse.
To select a form, click on it with the mouse. You have to click on the outline of the form, not in its middle.
When you select a form by clicking on it, all the other forms become unselected. If you hold down the shift key however, the other forms don't become unselected. So to select multiple forms, hold down the shift key when you click.
Another way to select multiple forms is to drag a box which encloses those forms. You can drag a box on the field using the Forms Selection tool. Any forms which are completely within the box will be selected.
If you drag a box that includes any part of a form, the form is selected. You don't have to get the entire form within the box.
If you right click on a form, it becomes the only form selected. You will see a popup menu then. The commands on the popup menu only apply to the one form you right clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Moving Forms
Forms are moved and selected using the Select Forms Mouse Tool
You move a form by clicking and dragging on its outline when it is selected.
You cannot move a form unless it is first selected. To select a form, click on its outline once, or drag a box which contains any part of the form.
You can select more than one form and move them all as a group by dragging on the outline of any one of the selected forms.
Forms can only be moved using the forms selection tool chosen by clicking the Select Forms Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Rotating Forms
You can rotate your forms using the rotation tool.
Choose the rotation tool using the Rotate Forms Toolbar Button
When a form is selected and the rotation tool is the current tool, you will see a rotation point for the form, which looks like a circle within a circle. If you are not sure where the rotation point is for a form, you can bring it home to its form by using the Forms Center Rotation Point Menu Choice
You rotate a form by clicking and dragging on the outline of the form using the rotation tool. The form always rotates around the rotation point. If you want to move the rotation point, you can also click and drag the rotation point with the rotation tool.
When you do a pivot transition, it pivots around the rotation point for the forms.
Forms cannot be rotated in TrueView.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Zoom
You can zoom in to see your drawing in a larger size, or zoom out to see more of your drawing.
To zoom in or out, use these toolbar buttons:
Zoom In
Zoom Out
Zoom Normal
Zoom Select
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Panning
Panning means moving your picture around so that you can bring different parts of it into view when you are zoomed in.
The best way to pan your picture is to use the Slide View Toolbar Button to slide the view around.
You can also pan to different parts of the picture, use the scroll bars on the side and bottom of the field view panel. You can turn the scrollbars on or off using the Scrollbars command on the View menu.
If you click the Zoom Normal Toolbar Button, it returns the drawing to its normal position. You can also use the '=' (equals) key to do the same thing.
You can pan the view up and down using the Page Up and Page Down keys.
You can pan the view right or left using the Home and End keys.
View Toolbar Buttons
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
The Grid
You can turn on the grid by using the View Options menu command.
Just check the box for Grid and enter the size you want.
When the grid is in use, all your forms stick to the nearest grid point when you move them. Its a way to help you line things up evenly.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Measuring
You can use the tape measure tool on the toolbar to measure the distance of any path you trace on the field.
The path can be a straight line, a polygon, or any shape you want to trace.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Drawing Form Shapes
You can draw form shapes which can hold cast members.
The shapes are chosen by using the shape toolbar buttons at the top.
All the shape toolbar buttons look like the shapes they represent.
Click here for a list of the shape toolbar buttons: Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Click here for a list of form shapes and how to edit them: Form Shapes
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing
Handles
Handles are small squares or circles on a form that you can drag in order to change its shape.
Handles change color when you roll over them with the mouse pointer, which helps you see where to click and drag them.
There are two types of handles used in this program, size handles and point handles.
Size Handles
Point Handles
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing >> Handles
Size Handles
Size handles are the small squares that appear on the selected forms on your drawing. You can drag the handles around with the mouse to change the size, shape, and location of your forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Drawing >> Handles
Point Handles
Curves and Polygons have round Point Handles which you can drag with your mouse in order to change the shape of the curve or polygon.
Handles turn a different color when you roll over them with your mouse. This helps you to click and drag them.
If you double click on a point handle, it deletes it.
If you want to add a new point handle, double click on a segment of the curve or polygon.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Uniforms / Equipment / Props
You can add a more realistic appearance to your cast using uniforms, equipment and props.
There are flat uniforms that are used in draft 3D mode and can be edited using the Draw Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice.
You can also draw equipment ( instruments flags etc. ) in the Draw Uniforms / Equipment feature. Usually a cast member is represented by a uniform, with an instrument or flag displayed on top of it. These are chosen in the Properties dialog for each cast member.
In True View mode, cast members use 3D uniforms that can be customized using the Uniform Designer Dialog which is invoked from the True View Options menu item.
The drawn uniforms only appear in draft 3D mode and only if you have checked the option to draw uniforms on the View Options dialog.
You can use the default uniforms that are built into the program, or draw your own.
Each cast member can have a uniform and equipment defined. Each uniform or equipment type is considered a uniform drawing. Equipment types are for flags, instruments, drums, etc. Each cast member is drawn in draft 3D mode by first drawing the uniform and then drawing the equipment on top of it.
Cast members also can have True View uniforms and equipment defined. These are 3D models that are displayed in True View mode and give more dimensionality and realism to the characters.
Displaying uniforms makes the program run a little slower in draft 3-D mode, especially if you have a large cast. So if you need more speed, you can turn off uniforms using the View Options dialog.
Each section can have a uniform and equipment. Each cast member can also have a uniform and equipment. If you don't want to define uniforms and equipment for each cast member, you can let them default to the uniforms and equipment for their section.
If you are showing uniforms and there is no uniform defined for a cast member, then he displays as the uniform for his section ( default ). If there is no uniform defined for the section either, then the cast member shows as the first uniform in the list by default.
When you apply animations to cast members, the equipment drawings are automatically manipulated to simulate flag tosses, spins, etc. In previous releases these types of animations were accomplished by using lists of uniform changes and making different drawings for each frame. But now flag spins and tosses and rifle spins and tosses can be done automatically.
Spin and toss animations that you apply to cast members will display in draft 3D mode and also display in True View mode.
You can also still define custom uniform changes for cast members to simulate flags up or down, horn flashes, props, etc. Custom uniform changes are only available for draft 3D mode, but you can still define custom uniforms for props and check the "Prop" check box on the uniform, and this will cause it to be drawn in True View mode.
The program comes with a built-in set of flat uniforms. You can use the default set, or you can add your own uniforms. To draw your own, use the Draw Uniforms Menu Choice to take you into uniform drawing mode. You can alter, add, or delete uniforms using the buttons on the Draw Uniforms Dialog
To customize your True View uniforms, go into the True View options under the Options menu and click the button to open the Uniform Designer. There you can define multiple uniforms for True View mode and choose different colors, hats, etc.
Flags or other colorguard equipment that exist as drawings in this feature, can also be used as TrueView equipment for cast members. Just choose the Custom flag by name from the list on the Flag Designer Dialog When creating colorguard equipment drawings, try not to let the shapes overlap.
Cast Changes
Drawing Uniforms
Props
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Uniforms / Equipment / Props
Cast Changes
Cast changes are animations, uniform changes, or equipment changes which alter the appearance or motion of cast members at various specific points in the show.
Uniform changes cause the current uniform for a cast member to change at certain steps in the show. There are separate uniform changes available for TrueView or draft 3D mode.
Equipment changes cause the current equipment type for a cast member to change at certain steps in the show There are separate equipment changes available for TrueView or draft 3D mode.
You can also specify changes in the 3D props that can be shown in True View mode.
A change list is a series cast changes along with the step and duration associated with each one that tells where it is supposed to appear in the show. You can build up lists of changes and then assign the change lists to different cast members.
If you want to use uniform changes, you first define a change list and give it a name. You can have as many change lists as you want, so what you end up with is a list of change lists, each with a different name. Then for any cast member, you can assign a change list to that cast member.
You can also apply animations by selecting cast members and using the "Apply Animations command" which will allow you to choose uniform or equipment changes ( for draft 3D mode ) or animations ( draft 3D mode and True View mode ) or other effects such as horns up / carry / present / stands and facing direction and mark time ( seen in True View only ). When you apply animations to selected cast members, it automatically applies them to the change list for those members and then they can be edited or removed by editing the change list for that cast member.
Define uniform changes using the Uniform Changes Menu Choice
Once you have built a library of cast changes using the Cast Change Library Dialog, you can assign them to cast members using the Cast Properties Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Uniforms / Equipment / Props
Drawing Uniforms
Drawing uniforms is done the same way drawing forms is done. A uniform is merely a set of forms that are grouped together and displayed where cast members appear.
To draw your own custom uniforms, go into uniform drawing mode using the Draw Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice and use the buttons on the Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog to display, save, change or delete the uniforms in the list.
You draw your uniforms in the area on the left. Draw the image whatever size you want, because each uniform will always be automatically scaled to the height of a cast member. You just have to set the bounds guide to the size of the cast member to indicate where the drawing is supposed to lie on a cast member. It is ok if some of the drawing lies outside of the bounds guide, in cast you are drawing flags or props or something else which is larger / wider / taller than a cast member's body. When drawing uniforms and equipment, use the same shapes that you use to draw forms: Form Shapes Set the Fill property of each shape and choose a fill color to make the drawings visible. Use closed polygons instead of open polygons because these can be filled.
The Uniforms / Equipment drawing feature can also be used to draw flat upright props for your cast. Just check the Prop box on a drawing to indicate it is a prop. It will be displayed upon a cast member like a uniform would. Use the Bounds Guide rectangle to indicate the relative size / position of the prop on the cast member.
Displaying uniforms on cast members takes up more computer time, so it is better to keep the uniforms simple, since they will drawn many times. Uniforms are drawn fairly small, so very small details are hard to see. You may also find that your uniforms look better if you set the shapes to have no outlines, only fills. Do this by right-clicking on the shapes and using the Form Properties Dialog
For best results, draw your uniforms using only ellipses, rectangles, and especially closed ( filled ) polygons. Avoid lines, arcs, and curves. Use the least number of shapes possible for each uniform. You can slide the uniform around in the draw area using the Slide View Toolbar Button
You can rotate shapes for uniforms using the rotation tool, but only if they are polygons - ellipses and rectangle cannot be rotated, for uniforms.
To change the outline color or fill color of a shape, right click on the outline of the shape and choose Properties from the popup menu. This will give you the Shape Properties Dialog which allows you to set the colors of a shape or even change it to a different shape ( it is advisable only to use closed polygons, ellipses, and rectangles ). You can use any color you choose for your shape, or you can choose from among pre-defined uniform colors. The advantage in using pre-defined colors is that you can change them on the Colors Dialog and they will automatically apply to all uniforms in the current show.
When shapes overlap, draw order ( front to back ) will be very important when designing uniforms. You can move a shape to the front or back of the drawing using the Shapes Send To Back Menu Choice and the Shapes Bring To Front Menu Choice
You can also use this feature to design flags that can also be shown in TrueView mode. When drawing flags or other colorguard equipment, it is best to not let the shapes overlap.
When you have changed the uniform in any way, it is important to set its boundaries by Dragging the Size Handles on the boundary guide rectangle. If you do not have a boundary guide for your uniform, you can turn it on by checking the Bounds Guide check box on the Draw Uniforms Dialog. The bounds guide is a dotted line rectangle. It does not display when the uniforms are displayed. Its purpose is to show the outlines of the cast members body. Make your bounds guide rectangle just slightly taller than the distance from bottom of the cast members shoes to the top of their head. Make it just slightly wider then their shoulder width. Flags, instrument bells, and other things that project higher than the cast member head or past their shoulders, should not be included in the guide rectangle. When you move the guide rectangle, the width and height factors are changed automatically.
If you check the box marked Prop, your uniform drawing can be drawn in True View mode as a flat prop. If you do this, make sure to use only convex shapes and draw the points of curves or polygons in clockwise order so the drawings will translate correctly into true 3D shapes.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Uniforms / Equipment / Props
Props
There are several kinds of Props available to use. You have tarps, stand up props, and 3D props.
Flat tarps that lie on the field can be made by drawing closed forms with no cast on them and setting the End Step property of the form to make it persist through time. Check the Fill property of the form and choose a fill color and you will have a flat tarp that displays in 2D, draft 3D and TrueView modes. You can even set an image property for the form which allows you to display a picture on your tarp in TrueView mode.
You can also draw props which are stand-up flat props that display both in draft 3D and in TrueView. You can create these flat stand-up props by drawing a 2D uniform and checking the box that identfies it as a prop, then assigning it to a cast member. The prop will move around with the cast member like a regular uniform. Just check the Prop option on the drawing to identify it as a prop. It is okay if the shapes overlap for props.
Finally, you can have true 3D props. These only display in TrueView mode. There are several 3D props included with your installation. You create more props in Calder4D (available on the Field Artist web site) and export them to XAML files which you then reference in your show. Use The Manage Props command from the File menu to include 3D prop models in your show. You can create a list of available props which you can then assign to cast members. The props move around with the cast members.
If you have a prop which is a ramp or platform, you can make invisible ramps to make cast members automatically walk on the surface of the prop. The invisible ramp is a kind of Form which occupies the same space as the prop. To make an invisible ramp, fill in the Ramp properties on the Form Properties Dialog for a line form.
For more information, click Manage 3D Props Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Songs
You can add songs to your show even if you dont have MIDI or audio files for the songs. The current song is always show in the Status Panel.
If you add songs that have MIDI or audio files to go with them, the marching can be synchronized to the music.
Field Artist playback uses the built in Windows Media Player. This player can play most types of songs including midi, wav files, mp3 files, and more. It does require you to enter a count map to keep your marching synchronized to the music.
To add songs to your show, use the Music Dialog available from the Animate Music Menu Choice
The built in Windows Media Player feature only works if you have Windows Media Player installed on your computer.
In the time line panel, durations of songs are indicated by color changes in the lower half of the time line.
Count Marker
Song Count Map
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Songs
Count Marker
A Count Marker is a marker that is added to a song you want to synchronize to.
You add one or more count markers to a song to indicate the number of counts that correspond to various elapsed times during the song.
You have to add a count marker to the end of the song. Other count markers are optional depending on how much the tempo of the song changes or drifts.
This lets the computer keep the marching synchronized to the music, even if the tempo changes or drifts.
Count markers are needed when you are using the built in Windows Media Player, which only works if you have Windows Media Player installed on your computer.
Count markers are added by using the Count Marker Dialog, which is invoked from the Song Count Map Dialog.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Songs
Song Count Map
A song count map is a series of one or more Count Markers that you add to a song to keep the marching synchronized to the song.
A song count map is created using the Song Count Map Dialog, which is invoked from the Song Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Sections
You have default sections when you begin Field Artist. You can define your own sections if you want to. Each section has a name and a symbol associated with it.
Symbols can be one letter, but they are not limited to one letter and you can make your symbols more than one letter if you want to.
Each cast member should be a member of a section. When cast members are being displayed as symbols, if no symbol is defined for that cast member, it displays them as the default symbol for their section.
You can also define uniforms and equipment for a section. If you are displaying uniforms in draft 3D mode and the cast member does not have his own uniform defined, he will display as whatever default uniform is defined for his section.
Each section also has True View equipment and uniforms. These are the uniforms and equipment displayed within True View (as opposed to the flat uniforms and equipment displayed in the draft 3d mode).
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Step Instructions
You can see step instructions for one or more cast members by selcting them and Choosing Show Step Instructions from the Cast Menu.
There are options that apply to how step instructions are shown and printed. You can choose your options on the Step Options Dialog.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Printing
Use the File Print Menu Choice to print cast, show charts, coordinate charts, step instructions, forms lists, or uniforms.
When you print uniforms, coordinate charts, or show charts, they print directly to your Windows supported installed printer from Field Artist.
When you print cast lists, step instructions or forms lists, they are saved in a document which is then displayed using whatever application is installed on your system for viewing documents.
When you print, you have a choice to save as .txt, .doc, or .rtf files. Usually Word will display .doc files and usually Notepad will display .txt files. Whatever file extension you choose, when the document is displayed you can alter it within the application it comes up in, and then print it from that application. This allows you more choices about the appearance and contents of your documents.
Printing The Current Step
Printing All Steps
Printing Coordinate Charts
Printing Step Instructions
Printing Cast Members
Printing the Forms List
Printing Uniforms
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Printing
Printing The Current Step
To print the current step of the show, merely go to that step and the choose current step from the Print Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Printing
Printing All Steps
To print the charts for every set of the show, just choose this option from the Print Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Printing
Printing Coordinate Charts
Use this command to print short concise coordinate charts. Select the cast members you want to print coordinate charts for, then click the Print command from the file menu and choose the radio button for Coordinate Charts.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Printing
Printing Step Instructions
To print step instructions, you must first select one or more cast members.
Then choose the File Print Menu Choice and choose the radio button for Step Instructions on the Print Options Dialog.
The step instructions will be saved to a file and opened in an application that your computer uses for viewing documents. You can make any changes you want to the document before printing it from within the application provided.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Printing
Printing Cast Members
To print a list of cast members, just select that option from the Print Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Printing
Printing the Forms List
To print a list of all the forms in your show, just choose that option from the Print Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Printing
Printing Uniforms
The print all uniforms and print current uniform options on the Print Options Dialog are only available when you are in uniforms drawing mode, which is reached from the Draw Uniforms Menu Choice on the View menu.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Text Notes
Text notes are explanatory or descriptive notes that appear on your drill charts. They display both in Field Artist and on the printed charts. You can add text notes to your show with the Text Notes mouse tool.
You can view all the text notes for your show using the View Text Notes Menu Item
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Comments
You can add a comment to any step of your show.
Comments are displayed at the top of the main field panel, and they also appear on the printouts of the drill charts.
Comments are added, changed or deleted by using the Comments command under the View menu.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Field
All your action takes place on a picutre of a field that you can view in 2D or 3D.
The default is a regulation football field, but other shapes are available or you can define your own. Settings for percussion shows and guard shows are available.
Use the Field Options Dialog to define your field shape.
Whenever you change your field shape, it is very important to adjust your step instruction offsets reference points so that they match the new field dimensions. They do not change automatically when you change the field size. You can adjust them using the Step Instruction Options Dialog
When you change your field settings for indoor shows such as percussion or guard, you will want to change your TrueView options to something more appropriate. At the very least, you will want to change your field image from the football field grass to something approximating your performance surface (a wood image is provided, but you can use any floor image you want). You will also want to turn off the track option and change your stadium type to one of the indoor types. You can also change the width of the stadium and its distance from the field. All of these options are available in the True View Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Performance And Speed
There are a few ways to increase performance and speed if you are noticing sluggish behavior.
First of all, TrueView takes up a lot of memory. This is needed because of the 3D modeling and texture mapping that increases realism. But on some computers it can run slowly, depending on what kind of hardware your have.
One reason the draft 3D view exists, is so that people with older computers that aren't powerful enough to use TrueView can still use Field Artist and see their show in 3D.
There are several things you can do if you are having problems running TrueView on your computer. Don't use uniform fabrics on your cast. In the TrueView Options dialog, uncheck the "Allow Skins" option. Also uncheck the options for scenery you don't need such as stadiums, goal posts etc. If you are still having trouble you can turn off the sky and the field texture. Most importantly, you can choose "None" for drum skins and horn skins. In general, choosing options for less detail will cause TrueView to use less memory and therefore run faster.
If you notice a delay when editing or doing commands, you can turn off the undo option. The price for doing this is that you can't undo editing operations. Turn undo off or on using Allow Undo menu choice.
If you have a large show, undo will get very slow because it saves the entire file each time you use the mouse. If this happens, you should to turn undo off.
One way to increase performance overall is to save your show as more than one file instead of a large single file. I recommend having a different file for each song in the show, or at least breaking it up into sections.
To increase performance when saving or reading in your show, delete any uniforms that you know you are not going to use. To delete uniforms, use the Draw Uniforms Menu Choice to go into uniform drawing mode, select the uniforms you do not need from the list and use the delete button to erase them one at a time. This only erases those uniforms from the current show. If you want to use those uniforms in a different show, you must first save them to a uniforms file using the File Save Uniforms Menu Choice and uncheck the box for displaying uniforms in 3D.
If you are drawing your own custom uniforms, avoid curves, circles and ellipses because they slow the drawing down. Try to stick to polygons when possible.
In the View Options dialog, there is a check box for "Smooth Lines." This makes the display draw prettier with less jagged lines, but it makes the program run slower. If you have this on and you notice slowness, turn it off by unchecking the box.
If you are noticing slow or erratic animation in TrueView, you probably have a computer with less memory and/or a slower graphics processor. If this is a problem, you can see better performance by opening TrueView options and checking the box for "Use Basic Bodies".
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Tarps
You can design Tarps for your show by usings Forms in a unique way.
Forms are ordinarily shapes that indicate where cast members stand on a given set of the show. They exist for only one step. But you can also draw forms which persist for a number of steps and set the fill property of the form using the Form Properties dialog.
By setting an End Step for a form, you let it persist for a given range of steps in the show. By having the form filled with a color, it shows up as a horizontal flat prop ( tarp ) in your draft 3D view and also in the TrueView.
You can also set the Tarp Height property ( in inches ) on your Form properties dialog, to allow the tarp to be a certain height. For instance, you might want it to be lying on the ground, or held at waist height or head height by surrounding cast members.
Tarps that are created by adding an image to a form can display in TrueView mode. They can also display in 2D mode but only if the form is a rectangle. They don't display during printing or during draft 3D. You can uncheck the Show Forms Images box on the View Options Dialog to prevent forms images from displaying while in 2D.
Another way to make a tarp is by using a true 3D prop. There is a tarp shape included with your installation. You can vary its size using the scaling factors for 3D props. 3D props only appear in TrueView. For more information about 3D props, click Manage 3D Props Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts
Video
You can record video of your show with the built-in video recorder.
The first time you record video, you will see an installation screen for the screen recorder DLL. Be sure to complete the installation. If you don't complete it for some reason, there is a button on the Video Troubleshooting dialog which will install it again.
If you have any trouble with the video recorder not working properly on your computer, click the link below for Video Troubleshooting.
To record sound, you must have a recording device enabled on your computer. The best one to use for recording music is usually named "Stereo Mix" on Windows7 or Vista computers. On XP it may be named "What You Hear"
On new Windows7 computers the "Stereo Mix" device is usually disabled by default. Here is how to enable the "Stereo Mix" device:
Right click on the speaker icon at the lower right of your screen.
Choose "Recording Devices" from the menu.
Right click on the list and make sure that "Show Disabled Devices" is checked.
Right click on the Stereo Mix device and click "Enable"
Video Trouble Shooting
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>> Field Artist Help >> Concepts >> Video
Video Trouble Shooting
Here are some things to try if the video record feature is not working for you. All of these actions have the goal of getting the screen capture DLL to register properly on different Windows operating systems with differing levels of security.
If you get messages with strange error codes when you try to record video, especially ones that mention COM, here are some things to try. You won't have to do these every time you make a video, just until the video feature is working properly.
Don't do any of these things if video capture is already working.
1) Just try it again. Sometimes it errors out the first time and works fine thereafter. Especially if you close Field Artist, restart it, and try again.
2) For Windows7 / Vista users, turn off UAC (user account control) or turn it down all the way. At least until the DLL is registered and the video is working properly. This is done from your control panel under the section about security settings. When you turn UAC off, the change does not take effect until you reboot.
3) The video dialog has a button for Video Troubleshooting. Click that button to display a dialog with some actions you can take. Click the buttons 'Register DLL' and 'Register DLL Second Method' on the Video Troubleshooting dialog. They attempt to register the DLL.
4) On the video troubleshooting dialog, click the button that says "Install Screen Recorder DLL" and make sure you complete the steps of the installation. This button will run the install for the DLL as administrator. You may see a dialog prompting you to choose which user to run the install as. You should choose to run it as yourself, provided you are an administrator. You may see a check box that says "Protect My Computer." Be sure to uncheck that check box. This assures that the install for the video DLL can access the file system and registry and get installed properly. You may also see a box asking if you want to allow these actions. You do want to allow them.
5) Run Field Artist with elevated privileges. Here's how: Close Field Artist and start it from File Explorer (XP) or "Computer" (Windows7 or Vista). Browse to the FieldArtist3 directory under "Program Files," or "Program Files (x86)" if you have a 64-bit computer. Right click on Fa3WpfApp.exe and choose "Run As Administrator." Once Field Artist is running, when the Video dialog is displayed, click on Troubleshooting and click one or both of the Register buttons again.
6) Run Field Artist with elevated privileges as explained above, go to the Video Troubleshooting dialog, Click the Install DLL button, go through the steps, click the De-Register button which will un-register the DLL, then click the Register button which will register it again.
7) Browse to the FieldArtist3 directory as above, right click on the file registerscrx.bat, and choose "Run As Administrator"
To record sound, you must have a recording device enabled on your computer. The best one to use for recording music is usually named "Stereo Mix" on Windows7 or Vista computers. On XP it may be named "What You Hear"
On new Windows7 computers the "Stereo Mix" device is usually disabled by default. Here is how to enable the "Stereo Mix" device:
Right click on the speaker icon at the lower right of your screen.
Choose "Recording Devices" from the menu.
Right click on the list and make sure that "Show Disabled Devices" is checked.
Right click on the Stereo Mix device and click "Enable"
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>> Field Artist Help
Screen Panels
The Field Artist screen is divided into square functional areas called panels.
If you hover the mouse over each panel, a text message will appear that tells what it is for.
Below is a list of the panels with a description of what each one is for.
Main Field View Panel
History Panels
View Height Panel
View Rotation Panel
View Perspective Panel
Overview Panel
Overview Time Line Panel
Time Line Panel
Status Panel
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
Main Field View Panel
This is the large panel in the center of your screen. This is where the field is displayed and where you draw and animate your show.
Most of the toolbar buttons allow you to select tools which operate on this main field view.
There are 3 types of views that can be displayed in the main view. The first is an overhead 2D view that looks like a drill chart. The second type is a draft 3D view that allows you to animate and edit the show in 3D. Invoke the draft 3D view by clicking the 3D View Toolbar Button
The third type of view is a True View option which looks similar to a video game. Some forms and cast editing is available in True View but the main purpose of it is so you can see your show animated with dimensional characters and more realistic motion and environments.
You can select cast members in TrueView by clicking on them with the Cast Tool. Select cast members appear with a wedge over their heads. Use the Shift key to select multiple cast members. You can also drag a box around the feet of cast members you want to select using the Cast Tool.
To invoke True View, click the True View Menu Item on the View menu, or type CTRL+X
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
History Panels
The History panels are miniature versions of the main field view panel that appear at the top.
The history panels show the pictures of each set in your show. You can click on a history panel to go to that set of the show.
When you have more sets in your show than will fit on the number of history panels at the top, use the arrow buttons to the right or left of the history panels to see earlier or later sets.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
View Height Panel
This is the narrow panel to the right of the main field view panel. It only appears when in 3D mode. Click or drag the mouse in this panel to change the height of the 3D view.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
View Rotation Panel
This is a thin horizontal panel that appears under the main field view panel, only in 3D mode.
You can click or drag your mouse in this panel to rotate the field in 3D mode so that you can see it from all sides.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
View Perspective Panel
This thin vertical panel appears to the left of the main field view panel, and it only appears when you are in 3D mode.
To change the perspective of your 3D view, click or drag the mouse on this panel. You can change the view from a telephoto lens ( flatter perspective ) to a fisheye lens ( more exaggerated perspective ).
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
Overview Panel
This panel provides an overview of your show. There are two different views available.
You get to this panel by pressing the Overview Toolbar Button.
The first view shows a history of all the sets in your show. The panels showing the sets are arranged from left to right and top to bottom.
If there are songs in your show, then each song appears on a new line with all the sets for that song appearing below it. That way you can always tell which sets belong to a song.
If you click on a set panel, it takes you back to the main view on that step of the show for that set.
If you click on the open area, it takes you to the second kind of overview -- the Overview Time Line.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
Overview Time Line Panel
This is a panel that shows a time line of your entire show.
Unlike the time line on the main view, this time line always has a vertical mark for every step. As the show grows longer, the timeline grows longer as necessary, and you will have to scroll to the right to see the entire timeline.
Below the timeline will appear history panels showing each set in your show, below its corresponding step on the time line. If you click on a history panel, it takes you back to the normal field view, on the set you clicked.
Each set in the show is represented by a small button on the time line. If you want to insert steps before that set, drag the button to the right to insert steps. This will make the set happen on a later step in the show. If you want to delete steps ( make the set happen on an earlier step ), drag the button to the left.
If you drag your mouse on the timeline, the portion of the show you drag on will animate in a popup window that is translucent. The window will go away when you release the mouse button.
If you single click in the open portion of the time line overview, it changes back to the regular overview. If you double click in the open portion, it takes you back to the field main view.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
Time Line Panel
This is a thin horizontal panel that appears near the bottom of your screen.
When you have more than one set in your show, the panel will have vertical marks in it, which indicate the number of steps.
If you click or drag your mouse in this panel, it will change the step of the show. So you can use this panel to jump to a different step of the show, or drag your mouse back and forth to preview parts of the animation for a show.
The time line will have alternating colors for the background when you have sets defined in your show. Each boundary where the background color changes, indicates a step where there is a set in the show.
If you have songs in your show, a different set of alternating colors is used to indicate where the songs begin and end. If you have songs, the alternating colors for sets will take up the top half of the timeline, and the alternating colors for songs will take up the bottom half of the timeline.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Screen Panels
Status Panel
This thin panel appears near the bottom and contains in formation about the show such as the current step and the number of cast members. If a form is selected, it shows information about that form.
If you move the mouse around the field, the status panel shows the location of the mouse. The offsets and units it uses to describe the location are similar to what are used for step instructions for cast members. You can define options for these on the Step Instructions Options Dialog.
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>> Field Artist Help
Field Views
There are three views of the field available. Toolbar buttons are used to move you from one view to another. Click the links below for information about each one.
Overhead Field View
Perspective (Draft 3D) Field View
TrueView Field View
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>> Field Artist Help >> Field Views
Overhead Field View
This is a 2D overhead view of you field in which you can do full editing and animation of your show on a view which more or less resembles graph paper.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Field Views
Perspective (Draft 3D) Field View
The Perspective View, or Draft 3D view, is a perspective version of the overhead view in which editing can be done. It provides a quicker way to see a 3D perspective animation of your show, rather than switching to TrueView, which can be a little slower to build on some computers.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Field Views
TrueView Field View
TrueView is a 3 dimensional view of your show which is similar to a video game. Some editing of forms and cast can be done in TrueView, but not all editing commands are available in this view.
Forms editing in TrueView can be turned on or off using the "Allow Editing" check box on the TrueView Options Dialog.
The Slider mouse tool can be used to pan, zoom, rotate and tilt in TrueView in a very similar way as it is used in the Perspective view. Click and drag to move the field, Shift + click and drag to zoom in or out. Right click + drag to rotate and tilt the view.
When the "Allow Editing" TrueView option is checked, a dot will appear on the field which shows you the point around which it will rotate.
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>> Field Artist Help
Dialogs
Dialogs are input screens that pop up in Field Artist which allow you to enter information or execute commands.
Sometimes these are called forms, because using them is like filling out a form. But because forms are formations in FIeld Artist, we will instead call them dialogs in this help file.
Forms Dialogs
Cast Dialogs
Common and Miscellaneous Dialogs
Animation Dialogs
View Dialogs
Options Dialogs
Edit Dialogs
Online Dialogs
File Dialogs
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
Forms Dialogs
These are dialogs having to do with forms and their properties
Combine Forms Dialog
Transition Dialog
Sort Cast On Form Dialog
Forms List Dialog
Form Properties Dialog
Split Forms Dialog
Create New Set Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Forms Dialogs
Combine Forms Dialog
This dialog appears from the Forms Combine Menu Choice. Just select the radio button for the shape you want the combined form to become.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Forms Dialogs
Transition Dialog
This dialog comes from the Transition menu item.
You select one or more forms with cast members on them, to create a transition.
To choose a transition mode, just check the radio button for the mode you want.
This command is for creating float, standard follow the leader, and pivot transitions. Free FTL and Free rotate commands are not created using this command.
You must fill in the number of the steps for the transition or the step you want to end on. If you change either value, the other one changes automatically.
For a pivot transition, you have to fill in a number of degrees between 1 and 360. It does not matter if you don't know the exact number of degrees -- you can adjust it by rotating the second form of your transition. You do have to check the box for clockwise or leave it unchecked for counter-clockwise pivots.
There are check boxes for Use 1st and Use 2nd beside the Pivot radio button. If you are pivoting a form without moving it across the field at the same time, you should choose Use 1st. That way, the position of the rotation point of the form you are coming FROM, determines the pivot point. The rotation point of the second form does not matter.
If you want to do a complex pivot transition where you move a shape down the field as you are rotating it, then you can check both boxes to use the rotation points of both the source and target forms.
If doing a follow the leader transition, you have to enter the ID number of the cast member who is to lead the transition. If you choose a single cast member before you invoke this command, that person's ID number if filled in as leader.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Forms Dialogs
Sort Cast On Form Dialog
This dialog comes from the Sort Cast menu command on the Forms menu.
ID -- sorts the cast members by their ID numbers
Last position -- sorts the members by their order on the previous form.
Next position -- sorts the members by their order on the next form.
Last Horizontal -- sorts the members by their previous horizontal position on the field.
Last vertical -- sorts the members by their previous vertical position on the field.
Last Layout -- this sort works in the following way: It first finds the 2 people on the form who are the farthest apart in the previous set. It then chooses one of those people to become the first member in the sort, and continues on adding the person closest to him, then the person closest to that person, and so on. This is useful for sorting people coming from more than one formation, where neither the vertical nor the horizontal sort will give good results.
Shortest Path -- this sort works by repositioning each cast member so that they have the shortest possible path to follow from the previous form. This sort is especially useful for transitions where the shape changes radically, for example when going from a circle to a square block. Note that this sort does not give perfect results, because each person greedily attempts to find their shortest possible path, which may force other people to assume a path which is longer than necessary. So usually it is going to be necessary for you to manually reorder some people on the target formation after using this sort.
Selection -- sorts cast by the order they were selected in
To reverse the results of a sort, use the Reverse Cast command on the Forms menu.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Forms Dialogs
Forms List Dialog
This dialog allows you to see a list of all the forms in your show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Forms Dialogs
Form Properties Dialog
This dialog comes from the Properties item on the Forms menu, or the Properties item on the Form Popup menu ( right click on a form ).
On this form you can change the color, outline color, shape, spacing, and other properties of the form.
You cannot change the current step of the form by using the Formation Properties. Instead, use the Insert / Delete Steps dialog.
You can, however, change the ending step of the form. This is to create forms which persist over several steps ( useful for representing flat props sometimes called tarps ). If making a tarp, use a closed shape such a circle, square or closed polygon, and check the "Fill" box. The fill color you choose for the form will be the fill color for the tarp. You can change the End Step but not the beginning step for a form after you create it. To begin a tarp on a different step, you have to create a new form on that step, because the begin step for a form can't be changed later.
If you create a tarp, it will also show up in the TrueView. You can also apply an image to the tarp by attaching an image to the form. To attach an image to a form, click the "Find" button next to the image field on the form. Any image files you use in your show must be distributed along with show files to be visible, if you are sending the show to a client or someone else. For rectangular forms, tarp images can display in 2D mode, but only if the Show Forms Images box is checked on the View Options Dialog. Tarp images do not display during printing.
Tarp Height allows you to set the height in inches for a tarp. In draft 2D mode the tarp always appears at ground level, but in TrueView it will appear at the height in inches that you filled in.
Names for forms are optional.
Any shape form that is a closed shape can become a block by checking the block check box. The cast members are spaced to fill the available space inside the shape, according to the spacing you provide.
The "Tension" item applies to curves. Bezier Curves are gravitationally attracted to their control points. The higher the tension factor, the closer they stick to their control points. To make sharper curves, enter a higher number. To make gentler curves, enter a smaller number.
Hermite Curves also respond to the tension factor. The Hermite curve is smoother when the tension number is higher. When the tension number is lower, Hermite Curves are closer to straight lines. You can set default tension for Hermite Curves and Bezier curves on the View Options dialog.
Sticky Corners applies only to polygons, closed polygons, and rectangles. It means that the performers are arranged on the form so that some performer is always on each corner, even if that means having to vary the spacing.
You can make a form into an invisible ramp. Invisible ramps cause cause cast members to become elevated when they pass over them. They are used in conjunction with props to make it look like you cast are walking on elevated props that can be ramps or platforms. Only lines can be invisible ramps. If you want your form to be an invisible ramp, provide a non-zero value in inches for Ramp 1 and / or Ramp 2. These correspond to the two ends of the line. They specify the height of the two ends of the ramp. If both ends are the same, the invisible ramp becomes a platform. Invisible ramps are not seen in TrueView, they affect the elevation of cast members that pass over them.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Forms Dialogs
Split Forms Dialog
This dialog comes from the Forms Split Popup Menu Choice or the Forms Split Menu Choice.
If the forms contain cast members, you can split the forms by the equipment type or the section of the cast members by selecting the "By Equipment" or "By Section" radio buttons.
If you want to split the form into a certain number of forms, select the "By Number" radio button.
To split by number, just enter the number of forms you want to split to, and select the shape from the shape radio buttons. If there are any cast members, they will be divided equally among the resulting forms.
To split by selected cast, first select cast members on the form that you want to split off, then use the split command and choose the radio button for Split by Selected Cast.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Forms Dialogs
Create New Set Dialog
This dialog is invoked from Create New Set command on the Forms menu. It allows you to create a new set by copying the current set. All the transitions will be float transitions.
To execute the command and create a new set, just fill in either the ending step or the number of steps and click OK.
The shortcut for this command is CTRL + E
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
Cast Dialogs
Create Form From Cast Dialog
Select By Equipment Dialog
Select Sections Dialog
Merge Change List Dialog
Add Cast Members Dialog
Transition Mode Dialog
Cast Properties Dialog
Cast Change List Dialog
Cast Change Library Dialog
Manage Cast Dialog
Flag Machine Dialog
Cast Member Change Dialog
Create Cast Dialog
CastChangeTimeline
Cast Select Skipping Dialog
Custom Animations Dialog
Custom Arm Animations Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Create Form From Cast Dialog
This form is invoked from the Create Formation From Selected Cast command.
To create a form from the selected cast members, choose the type of form shape you want and click OK.
The selected cast members can be on different forms. They will be removed from their current form and placed on the new form in the best fit that the program can determine. It may be necessary to further edit the form and the order of the people on it to get the desired positions.
When creating a form from selected cast causes some of the cast to be removed from other forms, the other forms will be automatically converted to Free Forms, so as to keep the remaining people in the same positions they were in before.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Select By Equipment Dialog
This dialog shows a list of the cast uniforms/equipment. You can choose one or more cast equipment types to select.
If you press OK, only those cast members with the equipment you chose will be selected.
To choose more than one equipment type, press the Ctrl key while clicking on the equipment name.
This dialog is invoked from the Select By Equipment Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Select Sections Dialog
This dialog shows a list of the cast sections. You can choose one or more cast sections to select.
Each cast member belongs to a section. You can define sections using the Define Sections Dialog that you invoke from the Sections Options Menu Choice on the Options Menu
If you press OK, only those cast members belonging to the sections you chose will be selected.
To choose more than one section, press the Ctrl key while clicking on the section.
This dialog is invoked from the Select Sections Menu Item
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Merge Change List Dialog
This dialog allows you to choose a cast change list to merge with another cast change list.
For instance, you may have a short uniform change list called "Rifle Toss" . Then you have a cast member whose uniform change list is called "Rifle Number Four".
To add rifle tosses at various points in the show for this cast member, you edit the uniform change list for that cast member and use the Merge button to merge in the "Rifle Toss" list at various points in the show.
This way, you don't have to keep adding every single change for the rifle toss to every cast member who has rifle tosses at different points in the drill.
You must enter the step on which you want to merge the list. You can also enter a repeat factor. This lets you merge a list that repeats over and over. The merge will not step on any existing changes in the target list. It inserts changes only where there is not a change in effect already.
You invoke this dialog by pressing the Merge button on the Cast Change List Dialog
From this dialog, you also have Add, Change, and Delete buttons that allow you to edit the change list library.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Add Cast Members Dialog
This dialog allows you to add cast members.
You can fill in the number of cast members you want to add.
If you want to choose properties for the cast members you are adding, press the Properties button.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Transition Mode Dialog
After you already have created a transition, you may want to change the transition mode from one form to another.
If you select cast members on the ENDING form of a transition, you can change their transition mode using this dialog by choosing the Transition Mode menu item from the Cast menu.
If you change the transition mode to follow, you have to select all the cast members on the form.
You cannot specify the degrees of rotation for a pivot transition on this dialog, because that is determined by the amount of rotation of the ending form. To change the amount of pivot degrees, you have to use the Rotation Tool and rotate the ending form.
For a pivot transition, you have to fill in a number of degrees between 1 and 360. It doesn't matter if you don't know the exact number of degrees -- you can adjust it by rotating the second form of your transition. You do have to check the box for clockwise or leave it unchecked for counter-clockwise pivots.
There are check boxes for "Use 1st" and "Use 2nd" beside the Pivot radio button. If you are pivoting a form without moving it across the field at the same time, you should choose "Use 1st". That way, the position of the rotation point of the form you are coming FROM, determines the pivot point. The rotation point of the second form doesn't matter.
If you want to do a complex pivot transition where you move a shape down the field as you are rotating it, then you can check both boxes to use the rotation points of both the source and target forms.
If you want to change the number of steps a transition should take, use the Insert / Delete steps command.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Cast Properties Dialog
This dialog appears from the Properties menu choice on the Cast menu.
If you right click on a cast member with the Cast Selection tool, you can choose Properties on the popup menu to make this dialog appear.
If you want to change properties for multiple cast members, select the cast members and choose Properties from the Cast menu at the top.
A good way to define the names, captions and symbols for your cast is to use the Define Cast Dialog dialog instead of the properties dialog.
Just how cast members are displayed in 2D depends upon the settings you choose in the View Options Dialog. Cast members can be displayed a small squares, or as letter symbols. There are also a number of options for attaching various kinds of captions to your cast.
There are two kinds of 3D - draft 3D mode (glasses icon on the toolbar) which you can edit in, and TrueView mode ( cube icon on the toolbar ), which gives realistic scenery and textures and modeling, and which is for viewing only. The uniforms for the cast member determine how they look in draft 3D mode and in TrueView mode. That's why there are two sets of uniforms to choose.
Fill Color: this is the fill color for when the cast member is displayed as a square in 2D mode. This can also be the background color, if backgrounds are chosen for displaying letter symbols (View Options Dialog). You can choose different colors for different sections.
Outline Color: this is the outline of the square if using squares to depict cast.
WIdth: this is the size of the cast member, usually 24 inches. If you increase this, it will affect how the cast member is displayed in 2D.
Symbol: this is a letter symbol for your cast member. Usually a symbol is used that represents their section, such as F for flutes.
Caption: this is a smaller caption that appears next to each cast member, depending upon your View Options. The caption can be a unique ID assigned by field artist, it can be the same as the Symbol, it can be a number indicating their order on the current form, or it can be this unique caption which you can enter for each cast member. Usually a number is entered here which indicates which member of a section this cast member is. For example, the symbol is F for flutes and the captions are numbered 1-12 for 12 different flutes.
First Name, Last Name: this is for if you want to enter the cast member's actual name to appear on drill charts.
Uniform: this is where you choose the uniform drawing to be used for this cast member in draft 2D mode. You can choose from the stock uniforms available, or you can draw your own using the Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog feature. Usually you would choose "plain" here for a plain uniform.
Equipment: this is where you choose the equipment (instrument, flag etc.) to be combined with a uniform to make that cast members appearance in draft 3D mode. An instrument and uniform are combined to make a person's appearance. So don't for instance, choose "flag" as a uniform - usually you would choose "plain" as the uniform and "flag" as the equipment.
TrueView Uniform: this is a true modeled 3D uniform that you choose for your cast member to wear in the TrueView scene. These are created using the Uniform Designer Dialog and you can choose the available ones from a list. If a cast member is carrying a prop, has prop is chosen from the Uniform setting and if it is marked as a prop then he won't be given a 3D uniform because the prop becomes his appearance.
TrueView Equipment: this is where you choose the instrument or flag for your cast member in TrueView. Flags can be customized using the Flag Designer Dialog and you choose from the available ones. You can also use custom flags or other colorguard equipment that you have drawn using the Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog and if the name of that drawing is supplied in the Flag Designer, a 3D model of that equipment will be created for that cast member to use in TrueView.
3D Instrument: You can use this feature to assign a 3D model of a custom instrument that you have drawn in Calder4D or some other modeling program that saves XAML files. You can use this feature to define your own custom drums or anything else you want that a cast member would carry. A sousaphone model is included in the installation. 3D instruments are imported into your show using the Manage 3D Props Dialog. You will have to set the Front/Back and Side Offset properties and the Elevation of your instrument to get it to appear in the right place in relation to your cast member.
3D Prop: this allows you to choose a name from the list of available 3D props for this show. You can import 3D props using the Manage 3D Props Dialog. Props are created in Calder4D (available from the Field Artist web site) and saved as 3D models.
Change List: cast members can undergo changes during a show - they can carry different equipment, change their facing directions, horn carry position, flag tosses and more. These are all specified as cast member changes and kept in lists. You can add the lists of changes to a library and apply them to different cast members. Choose the cast changes list for your cast member from this drop down list, or choose "none".
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Cast Change List Dialog
This dialog allows you to define a cast change list.
A cast change can be a uniform change, equipment change, or some kind of animation. Each change in a change list specifies the kind of change, what step it takes place on, and the duration of the change.
Change lists contain a list of cast changes which can then be applied to one or more cast members.
Cast changes can be used to do flag and rifle tosses, horn positions, mark time, and other changes in appearance of cast members.
A cast change goes into a Cast Change List. Many cast members can use that same change list.
Use the buttons on this dialog to add, delete, or alter the cast changes in the list. You have to give the list a name to save it.
It is not normally necessary to create changes using this dialog. Changes can be applied to selected cast members using the Flag Machine or the Apply Cast Changes Menu Choice. Lists of cast changes created in these ways are automatically given a unique name and added to the Change List Library.
Each cast member can be given a change list from the library which will cause that cast member's appearance to change during the show animation.
You can use the Merge button to invoke the Merge Change List Dialog, which allows you to merge the uniform changes for another list into this list. This feature is for adding short change lists like rifle tosses that may occur at more than one point in the show. You create the short list for the rifle toss, and then merge that list into the change lists for the rifle cast members at various points. This method is not recommended however, because the Flag Machine feature makes it unnecessary.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Cast Change Library Dialog
This dialog allows you to define a library of cast change lists.
A cast change specifies a uniform change, equipment change, or some kind of animation such as mark time, horns up or down, rifle tosses, and more. The change specifies a type of animation and a step of the show on which it shall happen. Change lists contain a list of changes which can then be applied to one or more cast members.
A uniform change, equipment change, animation, or other change goes into a list, called a Cast Change List.
Lists of cast changes then go into the Cast Change Library.
Each cast member can then be given a change list from the library which will cause that cast member's appearance to change during the show animation.
Ordinarily you dont' have to create cast change lists using this dialog. You can use the Apply Cast Changes Menu Choice to apply animations or other changes to selected cast members on a step. Lists of changes will be automatically created and named as needed. Use this dialog only if you want to find out what changes are occuring on a particular step, or if you need to remove some or all cast changes from your show.
Use the buttons on this dialog to add, delete or alter change lists in the library. There is only one library per show, and when you save your show, the library is saved as part of the show.
Global delete allows you to delete all changes in a specifed range for all cast, or only for selected cast members. Changes that overlap the deleted area will be shortened to leave the delete portion empty of changes. If a change spans the deleted portion, it will be split into two sections.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Manage Cast Dialog
This dialog shows a list of all cast members and allows you to set properties for them individually or in groups.
There is a row in the list for every cast member.
You can sort the list on any column by clicking the column header.
You select a row by clicking the empty space along the left hand side. You can select multiple rows by using click plus the Shift or Ctrl keys, or by clicking and dragging along the left hand side.
To delete cast members, select one or more rows and use the Delete button.
To add cast members, use the Add button.
To change properties for a cast member, you can select one or more rows and click Change to display the Cast Properties Dialog
You can also change properties for a single cast member by typing directly in a cell, choosing a value from a dropdown cell, or clicking on a cell to display a dialog.
You can also change a single property for multiple cast members. To do this, click and drag to select multiple cells in a single column, then click the Change button. A dialog will appear which allows you to enter a new value for that property which will apply to all the selected cast members.
To save changes you made to cells, you have to use the Save button. If you Cancel without saving, those changes will be discarded. However, adds and deletes still take effect even if you don't use the Save button.
Before you invoke the Manage Cast dialog, you can optionally select some cast members. There is a check box on the dialog which allows you to see all cast members, or only those you selected.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Flag Machine Dialog
The Flag Machine is the easiest way to add flag and rifle animations to your show.
The best way to use the flag machine is to finish the entire drill for your show first, combine it with the music, and then use the flag machine to add the flag animations last. This will make it easy to create flag animations which enhance and complement the musical and visual effect of the show.
It is best to use the flag machine when in True View. You will be able to preview the flag moves as you add them, keep or remove the moves, and add more moves until you have filled out the entire show.
Invoke the Flag Machine dialog from the Flag Machine command on the cast menu. You can keep the Flag Machine dialog open the entire time you are adding moves, yet you will still be able to interact with the other controls so you can step through, play or rewind your show to preview and approve all the moves you are adding.
The Flag Machine has two views, simple and detailed. By clicking the >> button on the dialog, you can reveal the detailed view which shows more options. Click the << button on the detailed view to switch back to the simple view.
To add a flag move, select a name from the list and click the Add button. By default, the Flag Machine will add the move to all flag performers in the show (all performers whose TrueView equipment is some type of flag). On the detailed view, you can also elect to add moves to only selected performers, or to all rifle performers.
By default, moves are added to the end of the list for all performers. The only effective way to use the Flag Machine is to start with a finished drill lacking any flag animations, and then build the flag animations from beginning to end by adding them one at a time. The flag machine automatically adds blends between moves for a smooth effect. It also adds fill moves automatically to cover gaps, and blends between the fill moves by default.
After every move is added, it will be previewed for you automatically. You can also use the buttons on the toolbar to play the show, without closing the Flag Machine dialog. The Flag Machine is designed to be left open the whole time you are adding your flag movements. Click the X at the upper right to close it when you are finished. You can interact with other controls in Field Artist without closing the flag machine, for purposed of reviewing what the animation work looks like so far.
Click the Remove button to remove the last flag move that you added. After you delete a move, the last move will be replayed again. You can click Preview at any time to review the last move. The flag machine only lets you delete moves that you added since the last time you opened the Flag Machine. For moves you added previously, clicking the Remove button has no effect.
That covers the controls for the simple view. You can reveal more options by clicking the >> button to expand the dialog.
First, see the group of controls labeled "Apply To." You will notice there are radio buttons for "All Flags," "All Rifles" and "Selected." This allows you to choose which cast to apply the move to. If you are doing different moves for flags on the left and right side of the field, for example to mirror image the show, you can click "Selected" to only apply the move to the selected cast, and then select the other performers to apply the mirror image of the move to those performers. In TrueView you can select cast members if you have chosen the Cast Select button on the toolbar. Select the cast members by drawing a box around their feet. An indicator will appear over the heads of selected performers.
Next we consider the controls under the "Options" category. These are parameters that control details of how each move behaves, such as the number of Revolutions for spins and the Start Degrees to begin the spins on. Not all parameters can be varied for all of the moves. When you select a move name in the list, the parameters you can change for that move will be enabled and the other ones will be disabled.
Many moves respond to L and R (for Right and Left). This gives a mirror image of the move which can be used selectively to create a symmetrical routine.
Incline tilts the flag inward giving a cone effect. Tilt Up and Tilt Side tilt the entire move. Toss height controls the height to toss the flag in the air. Elevation gives a constant vertical height. Left and Forward give a constant side to side and forward/back displacement. Shift left and Shift forward can be used to create moves where performers throw flags to other performers.
Finally there is a group of controls labeled "Step" which controls where the move is placed in the show. When you select a move in the list, the default number of counts for that move is filled in. You can change this number to make the move slower or faster. By default, moves happen end aligned. "At End Aligned" means that for all the applicable cast (All Flags, All Rifles, or Selected cast) the move will happen on the same step, which is the first empty step available for any of that group of performers (any gaps will be filled in using the fill move). "On Exact Step" means you can choose the exact step to put the move on. This should be an empty step that comes after any other flag moves for the selected performers. Again, gaps will be filled in using the chosen fill move. The final option for step placement is "At End," which means the move will be placed on the first available empty step for each selected cast member, which may not be the same step for all of them (especially if the previous move was a phased move). In that case, there should be no gaps to fill, just a blend between the last move and the next move.
Use the Phase check box to make the move happen in a phased order instead of all on the same step. When Phase is checked, you can fill in a phase count (1 by default) and check a direction U, D, R, L, or S meaning Up, Down, Right, Left, or Selected Order (use the order the cast members were selected in).
The Blend check box means an automatic blend animation will be added to liason the move from any previous moves. Uncheck Blend if you want to turn it off for certain moves (for instance, if you know you are doing several Flourish moves in a row, it is not necessary to blend in between them because they already match up). By default, blends last 1 count. To make longer blends, enter a different number in the field after the Blend check box.
The last option in the Step group is the drop down list for Fill Move. This lets you select a default move that will be used as a fill move to fill any gaps. For instance, if you have a phased flag move and there are twenty flags, the last person in the move will have 20 counts to wait. The Fill Move gives that person a default position to blend to while waiting for his phased move to occur.
Some flag moves work in pairs, notably the moves where performers can throw the flags to other performers. The Tomohawk Throw works together with the Tomohawk Return and the Javelin Throw works together with the Javelin Return. To set up a Tomohawk Throw, you need at least one pair of performers side by side 5 yards apart (because the default distance is 15 feet). The performer on the left will do a Tomohawk Throw to the one on the right. The performer on the right will do a Tomohawk Return to the performer on the left. If you want to throw the flags a different distance, you can change the Shift Left parameter to some other number for both the throw and the return.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Cast Member Change Dialog
This dialog allows you to define an animation, uniform change, or equipment change for a cast member.
Animations can include flag and rifle spins and tosses, facing directions for cast members, backwards marching, horn positions, and more.
For all flag and rifle animations, the preferred method is to use the Flag Machine dialog. Use this dialog only as a method of last resort or fine tuning or for special situations in adding or deleting flag animations. Wherever possible, use the Flag Machine instead and use this dialog only for other types of animations.
A uniform change specifies a uniform and a step of the show on which to change to that uniform ( in draft 3D mode ).
An equipment change specifies an equipment type and a step of the show on which to change to that equipment type ( in draft 3D mode ).
You can also specify changes of True View props, equipment or uniforms by choosing those radio buttons. These changes also happen on a particular step and last for a specified number of steps.
Uniform and equipment changes can be used to custom animations and other changes in appearance of cast members that cannot be done with the built in animation types. Uniform and equipment changes only display in the draft 3D view. Toss and equipment position animations display in both draft 3D view and True View. Mark time, cast facing direction, and march angle only appear in True View. 3D props only appear in TrueView.
A cast change goes into a Cast Change List.
Lists of cast changes then go into a Cast Change Library.
Each cast member can then be given a cast change list from the library which will cause that cast member's appearance or movement to change during the show animation.
Cast changes can also be accomplished by selecting cast members and using the Apply Cast Changes Menu Choice
Here is a list of what the animation types do:
Instruments_Carry_Position
Tells the selected cast members to move their instruments to carry position. Fill in a starting and ending step.
Instruments_Ahead_Position
Tells the selected cast members to move their instruments (and flags and other equipment) to straight ahead position. If this animation is in effect, the instruments are pointing in the direction the marcher is traveling. Fill in a starting and ending step.
Instruments_Present_Position
Tells the selected cast members to move their instruments to present position. Fill in a starting and ending step.
Instruments_Pointing_Angle
Tells the selected cast members to point their instruments at an angle relative to the home sideline. By default, cast members point their horns toward the home sideline. If the Instruments_Ahead_Position animation is in effect, they point them forward relative to their direction of travel. When Instruments_Pointing_Angle is in effect, cast members try to point their horns a specific angle relative to the home sideline. Enter an angle to point the horns. An angle of 0 make the cast members point their horns at the home sideline no matter what direction they are marching. An angle of 180 degrees causes the cast to point their horns toward the visitor sideline. The cast members can only point their horns 90 degrees to either side relative to their marching direction. So if the command would cause that person to be pointing their horn more than 90 degrees either way, they automatically march backward when necessary to maintain the pointing direction required.
Instruments_Stands_Position
Tells the selected cast members to move their instruments to stands position (pointing up toward the stands). When this animation is in effect, horns point toward the home sideline. Fill in a starting and ending step.
Fly
This animation type allows the cast members or 3D props to float above the field. This is useful if for example you want to show the cast members on some kind of platform or ramp. If you had a prop which was a balloon and floated above the field, this feature would be also useful for depicting that. Enter the height (in feet) to end at, and the height (in feet) to start from, plus the starting step and duration.
You can also affect the elevation of cast members with the Invisible Ramps feature. This allows you to make forms that serve as invisible ramps. This is used to make cast members automatically elevate to the top surface of props such as ramps and platforms. Invisible Ramps are made by filling in the Ramp 1 and Ramp 2 properties of line forms. When the two are in conflict, Fly animations override invisible ramps.
Toes_Direction
Tells the selected cast members to face a particular direction relative to the field. This is the direction the feet and body are facing (toes are pointing), which can be different than the direction the horns (upper body) are pointing. Fill in a degrees to face, and a beginning and end step for the animation to be in effect.
Turn
You can also use this animation to create turns and rotations for performers and props. This animation changes the direction the performer's toes are pointing. To create a turn, fill in a begin and end step, a number of revolutions (can be fractional) and chose a direction right or left. You don't have to use this animation for every turn in the show. Regular turns for cast members are created automatically. Use this animation to turn props, or to create special turning situations for performers.
March_Angle
Tells the selected cast members to face their feet and bodies at an angle relative to their direction of travel. Cast members usually face in the direction of travel. Use this to make them face a different angle. For example, if you fill in 180 degrees, the cast will march backwards. Fill in a begin step, end step, and degrees. When horns are pointing toward the stands (which is the default), cast automatically march backward when necessary. This command can be used to force backward marching. You could also set the angle to 90 or 270 and use in combination with a crab step. This is crucially important when using the crab step because the marcher must be facing at right angles to the direction of motion.
Position_Equipment
The recommended way to do flag animations is to use the Flag Machine dialog instead of from the Cast Member Change dialog.
This animation tells the cast members to hold their flags or rifles at an angle. Fill in begin step, end step, angle, and left / right radio buttons. The left or right radio buttons for this animation type cause the flag silks to be pointing left or right (when you change the degrees amount, the normal correct choice for Left or Right is automatically filled in). If you check the "Trailing" box, the flag silk will trail behind. When the Extend option is filled in, the pole is extended farther from center. The degrees causes the flags or rifles to be held at an angle. Zero degrees is upright. If you fill in zero degrees, you can still cause the flag silks to be flipped left or right using the Left/Right radio buttons. You can fill in the options for Elevation, Side Displace and Front displace (positive or negative) to make the equipment shift right, left, back, forward, up or down.
Toss_Spin
The recommended way to do flag animations is to use the Flag Machine dialog instead of from the Cast Member Change dialog.
This animation lets you do toss and spin moves for flags. Fill in begin step, end step, Left or Right ( direction of spin ), height in feet ( for tosses only ), and number of revolutions to spin. The number of revolutions does not have to be an integer -- you can enter decimal amounts to get fractional spins. By default, the spin starts at zero degrees (straight up) but this is not the only option -- you can fill in the Start Angle to make the spin start at a different angle. The Inclination degrees will cause your flag to be inclined into more of a cone shape. The greater the inclination, the tighter the cone. Extend causes the pole to be extended and held farther from the performer. Use the Tilt Up degrees to tilt the entire movement upward or down. Tilting the move up 90 degrees produces a horizontal spin. If you check the "Trailing" box, the flag silk will trail behind. The height option allows you to specify the number of feet the flag will be tossed upward. Fill in 0 height for a spin with no tossing. You can make flag tosses from one member to another member by using the "Shift side/side" and/or "Shift front/back" options. Enter a number of feet (can be fractional) to shift the flag during a toss. Negative numbers and positive numbers shift in opposite directions. When passing to others, be sure to arrange the tosses so that every member who tossed a flag still ends up with a flag at the end. For instance, you can arrange the cast in a circle and have each member toss to the person on his right. Use Tilt Side degrees to tilt the entire movement to one side or the other. You can fill in the Front displace, Elevation, and/or Side Displace to shift the movement to the left, right, back, forward, up or down. These offsets are static, not animated like tosses or shifts. They can be fractional, and they can be positive or negative. For instance, when doing a parallel toss, you might want to use the Elevation to shift the entire move 2 feet upward. This is not the same as a toss, because it is the same for the duration of the move. Any tosses are added to the displacement amounts.
There are some additional parameters for Toss_Spin. Inclination lets you enter an angle that will make the spin in the shape of a cone instead of flat. Tilt up and Tilt side allow you to tilt the entire animation from side to side and/or up and down. Side displace and Front displace allow you to shift the movement side/side or front or back by some constant amount. Side/Side shift and Back/Front shift allow you to create animations which appear to throw the flag to another performer.
Mark_Time
Tells the selected cast to mark time. Fill in a begin and end step when the cast members will be stationary.
Crab Step
Tells the selected member to do a crab step. Fill in a begin and end step. When using this animation, make sure you are also using the Toes_Direction or March_Angle to insure that the cast member's body is facing at right angles to the direction of motion. Ideally, use March_Angle set to either 90 or 270 so the performer is facing at right angles to the direction of motion when using this animation. Performers who are carrying percussion percussion instruments crab automatically according to their instrument and the direction of travel. The auto crab feature attempts to keep bass drum heads pointed toward the stands with bass drum performers facing the center of the field. Other percussion instruments point toward stands. Crabbing will take place when travel is mostly perpendicular to the facing direction. Other times straight or angled marching will be used. Apply the crab step and other animations if you need to adjust or override the default auto crab behavior. Auto crabbing for drums can be turned off in the Animation Options Dialog
Jazz_Run
Tells the selected member to do a jazz run. Fill in a begin and end step. The Jazz_Run animation is ignored if the step length is less than 45 inches.
Stand_Still
Fill in begin step and end step. By default, cast members do not move their feet when the step size would be below a certain limit. This is a way to cancel out any feet movements if the cast are moving their feet slightly due to a very small step size.
Feet_Apart
This is for standing with feet apart.
Knee_Left
This is for positioning the performer on the left knee.
Knee_Right
This is for positioning the performer on the right knee.
Knees_Both
This is for positioning the performer on both knees.
Lunge_Left
Stationary performer bends one knee while the other leg is held straight, causing the performer to move left while lowering center of gravity.
Lunge_Right
Stationary performer lunges right.
Tilt
This can tilt a cast member right or left. This animation can also be applied to 3D props. To animate a Tilt, you have to enter a starting degrees and a number of revolutions (number of revolutions can be fractional).
Multi_Tempo_March
Fill in a duration and a tempo. The tempo is the number of counts the performer takes to complete a cycle (two steps). A tempo of 2 is normal speed, two counts to complete two steps. A tempo of 1 means double speed marching. A tempo of 4 means half speed marching, 4 counts to complete 2 steps. A tempo of 8 means quarter speed marching. Odd numbers are also permitted. A tempo of 3 means the performer would take three counts to complete a full cycle of two steps.
Custom Animation
When you select this animation, you must pick a custom animation from a list of custom animations that you can define using the Custom Animations Command
Custom Arm Animation
When you select this animation, you must pick a custom arm animation from a list of custom arm animations that you can define using the Custom Arm Animations Command
You can phase animations if you have selected a group of cast members on the field and then invoked the Cast Change Dialog using the Apply Cast Changes Menu Choice (or the 'a' key). Just check the box that says "Phase" and enter the number of counts for each step. You can choose Left, Right, Up or Down phasing, or choose S to use the selection order. If you choose left, the animation will be added to the selected cast members ordered from left to right. If you choose down, the animation will be added from top to bottom, and so forth. That means that each selected cast member will begin the animation N steps later than the previous one, where N is the number you entered into the phase counts field. This is an easy way to produce rippling or waving flag motions. To make rippled (phased) animations end on the same step for all cast members, check the box for "End Same".
When this dialog is invoked using the Apply Cast Changes Menu Choice ('a' key is the shortcut for this), a checkbox called "Connect To Previous" will appear, only if the chosen animation is a colorguard toss or a colorguard position. If the box is checked, the animation will be added to each selected cast member such that it starts right after the previous colorguard animation for that cast member ends, and the starting offset angle will be automatically set such that the new animation flows from the previous one. When using this feature it is important to set the starting step for the animation to be larger than the end step for the animation you want to connect it to. The best use of this feature is for when you want to add flag animations one after another starting at the beginning, and you want them to flow into one another, but you don't want to have to figure out the correct starting step and angle for each animation. By using the "Connect To Previous" check box, you can just fill in a starting step greater than the animation you want to follow (it doesn't matter what number you choose), the number of counts, the height and number of revolutions. You don't have to worry about the starting angle or the exact starting step.
For any of the posed animations such as kneeling, lunges, feet apart or custom animations, you can specify a number of counts to assume and exit the position. This is done by typing in the "In" and "Out" fields which only appear when these animations are chosen. For instance if you choose the Kneeling animation for 16 counts, and enter 4 for In and 4 for Out, then the performers will take 4 counts to kneel, hold that position for 8 counts, then take 4 counts to return to a standing position.
For animations only, you can preview the animation. This only works if you are in TrueView when you invoke the Cast Change dialog by choosing Apply Cast Animations or pressing the 'a' key. To preview an animation, click the Add button (not the OK button) to add it to the selected performers at the specified step. You will see the animation played out in the main window. To see it play again, click the Preview button. Click the Remove button if you want to remove the animation you just added.
If you have added animations in this way, the OK button changes to "Close" and when you close the window no further animations or changes are added. If you haven't added any animations using the Add button, clicking OK causes the chosen change to be added.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Create Cast Dialog
Use this dialog to create cast where you want to add a certain number of each section.
To create a cast, fill in beside the name of each section the number of cast members to create of that section type.
You can also choose a color for the cast members from each section. To do that, click on the button in the color column and choose a color from the color picker dialog.
The symbols chosen for each cast member will be the symbol defined for each section. If you check the box for "Number Captions," each person also have a unique number captions added within their section. Captions can be displayed as smaller text beside the cast member to tell them apart. For example a T symbol might be the symbol for trumpets and the captions 1, 2, 3... would be displayed beside each cast member. To choose how captions and symbols are displayed for cast members, use the View Options Dialog
This dialog is invoked from the Create Cast menu item on the Cast menu.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
CastChangeTimeline
This dialog presents a timeline of cast changes.
Each type of change is displayed on a different line. Colored bars on the line represent the step and duration of each change.
You can invoke this dialog from the Cast Change List dialog which displays the cast changes as a list. This dialog displays the changes in a more visual manner. You can edit the changes on the timeline and when you click ok they will be transferred back into the cast change list.
You can right click on the colored bars representing cast changes. This will display a menu that lets you divide or delete a cast change or set its properties.
When you hover your mouse over a cast change, a window appears which calls out its details. When you hover the mouse over an empty block, the floating window displays the step and the type of change for that row.
A two-headed arrow icon appears when you mouse over a cast change bar. Slide the end or the beginning of the bar to change its length. Slide the middle of the bar to move it back and forth which changes its beginning step.
If you hold down the CTRL key when sliding a change bar, that bar and all the bars of the same type that come after it in the timeline are moved.
You can draw new changes by dragging your mouse open areas of the grid. To create a new change, drag your mouse in the row for that change type. This will determine the starting and ending step, which can be changed by dragging the two-headed arrows at the front and back of each change bar. To set other details for the change, right click on the change and choose "Properties" to display the Cast Member Change Dialog.
Overlapping changes of the same type are displayed on additional lines. These extra lines are automatically collapsed when overlaps are resolved.
You can use the plus and minus buttons to change the size of the grid.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Cast Select Skipping Dialog
This dialog is invoked from the Cast Select Skipping menu item on the main menu.
To use this feature, first select some cast which are in a layout with a definite spatial order such as a line or curve.
Select the cast then click the Cast Select Skipping menu item. The cast do not have to be on the same form, or on any form. But they have to be laid out spatially in a clear order with no gaps or corners.
The default is to select every other cast member from the first one. This means that the default numbers are Every 2 starting 1 (select every 2nd person starting with the first one).
The default is to begin with the leftmost endpoint and proceed to the right. To proceed from the upper endpoint to the lower endpoint, click the radio button for "Up / Down"
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Custom Animations Dialog
This dialog allows you to create custom poses for cast members. The poses can then be programmed on any step of the show like other cast changes, using the Cast Changes dialog.
This dialog is invoked from the Animate Custom Animations Menu Choice on the Cast menu.
To create a custom pose animation, pose the legs of the sample character in the window using the dials and arrows. You can also adjust the elevation and tilt of the character.
Custom animations are saved along with your show. To use custom poses you have previously defined in a brand new show, start with a show that already has the custom poses and clear out the forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Cast Dialogs
Custom Arm Animations Dialog
This dialog lets you define custom arm animations. These can then be applied on specific steps in the show, using the Cast Changes dialog.
This dialog is invoked from the Custom Arm Animations Menu Choice on the Cast menu.
To create a custom arm animation, pose the arms of the sample character in the window using the dials and arrows. You can also choose whether horns are carried in the right or left hand.
Custom arm animations are saved along with your show. To use custom poses you have previously defined in a brand new show, start with a show that already has the custom poses and clear out the forms or use the File New command.
Custom arm animations don't apply to Flag cast members.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
Common and Miscellaneous Dialogs
These are common function dialogs that are used in different places in the program
About Field Artist Dialog
Colors Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Common and Miscellaneous Dialogs
About Field Artist Dialog
This dialog displays the version number of Field Artist that you have.
If you click on the link, it will take you to the Raven Labs website if you are online.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Common and Miscellaneous Dialogs
Colors Dialog
This dialog allows you to change various colors in Field Artist. To get back to the original colors, just press the Defaults button.
To change a color, press the button and use the color dialog provided. The current color displays in the panel beside the button.
The Uniform Colors are used in uniform drawing - they allow you to change uniform colors in one place instead of changing each uniform individually. When drawing uniforms, the uniform color can be chosen from the Shape Properties Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
Animation Dialogs
These are dialogs having to do with show animation
Count Marker Dialog
Song Count Map Dialog
Edit View Changes Dialog
Go To Step Dialog
Music Dialog
Song Dialog
Video Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Animation Dialogs
Count Marker Dialog
This dialog allows you to enter a count marker for a song you want to synchronize to.
The elapsed time in seconds is filled in automatically by the Media Player. You have to fill in the number of counts reached at that point in the song. This should be the song count, not the show count.
You invoke this dialog from the Song Count Map Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Animation Dialogs
Song Count Map Dialog
This dialog allows you to enter count maps for songs in your show. Field Artist can synchronize to wav files, mp3 files, and other media that are playable by the Windows Media Player. A count map is needed to keep the marching synchronized to the counts in the music.
You invoke this dialog from the Song Dialog after you have entered the path for the song you want to play. You only need a count map if you are using the Media Player to play the song.
You have to have Windows Media Player installed on your computer for this feature to work.
To build a count map, use the Media Player controls to play the song and click the Add button to add a count marker at important points.
You always have to add one count marker for the end of the song. Let the player play the song to then end, then click the Add button. Here you should enter the total number of counts in the song. The dialog itself will enter in the elapsed time in seconds as counted by the Media Player.
In addition, you can add markers at various points in the song in case the tempo of the performance tends to drift.
When playing the song in the media player, you will see the elapsed seconds displayed on the dialog. When you click the Add button, the song playback stops and the Count Marker Dialog is invoked with the elapsed time filled in. You have to then fill in the count of the song that you were on when you clicked Add. This is the song count, not the show count.
To help you total the counts in the song, there are some buttons: Count, 4 Counts, and Clear. A counter is displayed near the media player controls. You click Clear to clear the counter, Count to increment it by 1 count, and 4 Counts to increment it by 4 counts.
If you want to delete a count marker you have already entered, select it in the list and use the Delete button.
If you want to change an existing count marker, select it in the list and click Change. You can only change the count. If you want to enter a different time, you have to erase that count marker and use the media player to seek or play to the point in time where you want to add the count marker. You will see the elapsed time change as the song plays.
You have to include at least one count marker for the end of the song. Other count markers are optional. You should include count markers at the END of every section that has a constant tempo. Where the tempo changes, add a marker there. You can include other more frequent count markers as needed if the tempo of the song tends to drift. Never enter a count marker on count 0, because count markers are added at the END of every section that has a constant tempo.
If you press the Play button on the dialog instead of the play button on the media player control, there will be a 2 second delay before the song plays. This is to allow you to position the mouse if you are going to use the count buttons to total your song counts.
As a shortcut for adding tempo markers, there are some other buttons called "Auto 4", "Auto 8", et cetera. When you click these buttons it increments the counter by the number indicated and adds a count marker for the current elapsed time of the song. These should be used only while the song is playing.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Animation Dialogs
Edit View Changes Dialog
This dialog is displayed by clicking the Edit View Changes Menu Item on the Animate menu.
You can see the existing view changes for your show in the list.
From this dialog box, you can delete individual view changes or clear the whole list. You can also add a view change by clicking the Record button. This will add a view change for the current step. You can interact with other Field Artist controls when the View Changes dialog is displayed. So to record a view change, go to the step you want, set up the view you want to record, and click the record button on the dialog. Leave the View Changes dialog displayed while you are recording view changes. You can close the dialog when you are finished recording view changes.
To delete a view change, select it and click the Delete button.
To clear the entire list, click the Clear button.
To record a view change, go to the desired step in Field Artist, set up the camera angle you want, and click Record. You don't have to close the View Changes dialog to set up your view and go to a different step. Only close the dialog when you are finished recording view changes.
View changes work in 2D, draft 3D, and TrueView. You can also change from one view to the other.
TrueView camera changes can have an animated transition from the previous view change. To specify the number of steps for the lead in, fill in the number of steps in the "Transition Steps" text box. The transition steps will be added to the view change when you click the "Record" button. To change the transition steps for an existing view change, select that change in the list, fill in the number of steps and click the "Change" button.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Animation Dialogs
Go To Step Dialog
This dialog comes from the Go To Step menu item.
Just fill in the step number you want to go to and press OK.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Animation Dialogs
Music Dialog
This dialog comes from the Music choice on the Animation menu.
It has a list of songs in your show.
You can add, change or delete songs by using the buttons provided.
MIDI files, wav files, mp3 files, and many other types of audio files can be used by playing them using the built in Windows Media Player.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Animation Dialogs
Song Dialog
This dialog is invoked from the Music Dialog when adding or changing a song.
You use this dialog to enter a song name for your show. Just enter the starting step, number of counts, and the name.
You can browse for a MIDI file or an audio file for the song, but you do not have to include music files for your song names if you do not want to. Even if you do not have music files, it is still useful to know where your songs begin and end when you are writing your show.
Field artist plays your music using the Windows built in Media Player. The Media Player works as long as you have Windows Media Player installed on your computer.
The Media Player can play MIDI files, wav files, mp3 files, and many other kinds of audio.
When using the Media Player to play a song, you have to click on the Count Map button to enter a count map. This button invokes the Song Count Map Dialog which allows you to play the song and stop at various points to enter step counts for the corresponding elapsed time.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Animation Dialogs
Video Dialog
This dialog is invoked from the Animate Video Menu Choice on the Animation menu. From this dialog, you can create a video file of your currently open show.
The first time you invoke the Make Video command, you will see an install procedure that installs the screen recorder DLL. Please complete the steps to install the screen recorder. If you don't complete it for some reason, you can go to the Video dialog, click the button for Video Trouble Shooting, and install it again using the Install button there.
On some operating systems such as XP, WIndows may raise an alert when you are installing the video capture software. If you see a box that says "Protect My Computer," you have to uncheck the box to allow the software to be installed.
In the video dialog, you will see a list of the existing videos you have created. You can select an existing video from the list and play it or delete it. You can enter a new name to create a video, or overwrite a video you have already created.
To play video on your computer, you have to have a video player such as Real Media or Windows Media Player installed. Most computers already have them.
The list of existing videos gives the file path for each video you have created. If you upload a video to YouTube, you will have to browse to the file path for your video to upload the video file. The videos are stored in your video folder under the Field Artist directory in My Documents.
When you create video for a show, any view changes that exist for the show will be incorporated into the video.
To fit within YouTube size limits, and to get the best results, you may have to make a video of smaller dimensions. The width and height of your video will be determined by the width and height of your Field Artist screen.
So, to make smaller video files, you can first make your Field Artist screen smaller ( by dragging the corner of the window ) and this will produce smaller files.
This will be done automatically for you when your video is recorded. Check the "Resize Window" box on your video dialog. It is checked by default. This will cause your screen to be resized to fit the proper aspect ratio for YouTube. If you don't want this feature but want to make a larger video instead, uncheck the box.
When the "Resize Window" box is checked, you have some options for what dimensions you want to resize the window to. The smallest one, 640x360, is right for ordinary quality YouTube videos. If you want to make an HD video for YouTube (playable in 780p) you should check the Large option (1280x720). You should check the Large option for best results.
If you check the box that says "Include Whole Program," the video recorder will capture the entire screen including the menus and toolbar. Otherwise it will just capture the part of the window where the show is displayed.
When you click Create, the screen will be resized and a video recorder window will appear. You can adjust the settings for AVI or MWV files, along with the codec, frame rate, and other properties. Not all available video formats can be converted by YouTube. If you upload a video and the conversion fails, try recording it in a different format or different settings. You may have to experiment to find the settings that give the best results on your computer.
When you have chosen the video settings you want, arrange the view of your show that you want to record and click "Record" on the recorder, then click the Play button on the Field Artist toolbar. Click "Stop" on the recorder when you have finished recording. You can preview the video by clicking the "Play" button on the recorder. If not satisfied with the results, you can record again. Close the recorder window when you are finished.
To upload your video to YouTube, log on to your account and click the Upload button, then click the button that says "Upload Video." A file dialog will appear and you can browse to the video you created under My Documents/FieldArtist3/Video and then just double click on the file to upload it.
The video recorder will also record audio. You can choose from a list of audio sources in the dropdown. If you don't see the one you want in the list, make sure it is enabled as a recording device on your computer. Open the sound mixer on your computer and make sure "Stereo Mix" or "What You Hear" is enabled as a recording source.
To record sound, you must have a recording device enabled on your computer. The best one to use for recording music is usually named "Stereo Mix" on Windows7 or Vista computers. On XP it may be named "What You Hear"
On new Windows7 computers the "Stereo Mix" device is usually disabled by default. Here is how to enable the "Stereo Mix" device:
Right click on the speaker icon at the lower right of your screen.
Choose "Recording Devices" from the menu.
Right click on the list and make sure that "Show Disabled Devices" is checked.
Right click on the Stereo Mix device and click "Enable"
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
View Dialogs
These are dialogs having to do with your view of the show
Comment Dialog
Comments Dialog
Show Tree View Dialog
Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog
Title Page Dialog
View Text Notes Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> View Dialogs
Comment Dialog
This dialog appears from the Comments dialog ( list ).
This dialog will allow you to add text and specify the step on which the comment should appear.
You can only add a comment to a step of the show where there is a set, so specify the step by choosing a set from the list.
To change a comment, double click on it in the list, or select a comment in the list and press Change.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> View Dialogs
Comments Dialog
This dialog appears from the Comments menu item on the View menu.
It shows a list of the comments in your show. To delete a comment, select it in the list and press Delete.
To add a new comment, press Add and you will see a Comment Dialog. This dialog will allow you to add text and specify the step on which the comment should appear.
You can only add a comment to a step of the show where there is a set, so specify the step by choosing a set from the list.
To change a comment, double click on it in the list, or select a comment in the list and press Change.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> View Dialogs
Show Tree View Dialog
This dialog shows a tree view of your show. It comes from the View Tree View menu item.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> View Dialogs
Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog
This dialog is shown when you choose the Draw Uniforms / Equipment item from the View menu.
This puts you in Uniforms Drawing mode, in which you can only do certain actions that pertain to drawing uniforms. To get out of Uniforms Drawing mode, either press the End button on the dialog or, select the Draw Uniforms menu choice again to uncheck it. This gets you back into normal mode.
Drawings that you make in this feature are displayed as uniforms for your cast in draft 3D mode. You can also draw instruments and colorguard equipment in this feature. Most of the time, a cast member is displayed as a combination of 2 drawings - a uniform and one instrument or one article of colorguard equipment such as a rifle or flag.
Colorguard equipment that you draw in this feature can also be used as 3D flags in the TrueView mode. In the TrueView Flag Designer Dialog, choose the name of a drawing that you have created in this feature and a 3D model will be created from it which will become a 3D flag you can choose as TrueView equipment for a cast member. When drawing flags in this way to be used in True View, it is better to not let any shapes in the drawing overlap one another.
You can also use this feature to design flat props that display instead of a uniform. You can move the props around the field the same as you would move any cast member from formation to formation. It is ok if shapes in your flat props overlap. You must mark the drawing as a prop by checking the prop box, if you want it to be used to create a 3D model in TrueView.
In this mode, the dialog is shown at the right while a drawing area containing the current uniform is show at the left.
You can draw the uniform using the same tools and techniques that you use to draw forms on the field.
When you are finished with your changes to the uniform drawing, use the Save button to save the changes to the current uniform.
When you select a name of a uniform in the list box, that uniform becomes the current one and its drawing appears in the drawing area on the left. The history panels at the top will show small pictures of the uniforms, and clicking on one of the panels will take you to that uniform. Click the arrow buttons to the left or right of the panels to show more uniforms.
To start a completely new uniform, press the new button to clear the drawing area. You have to give the uniform a name in order to save it into the list.
To copy a uniform, click on that uniform in the list to bring it up, and then type a new name in the name field and click Save. This will cause a copy of that uniform to be saved with a different name. This is important to know when you want to make a new uniform that is similar to an existing one.
You cannot change the name of a uniform by typing a new name in the name field. What happens when you save the uniform is that it will create a new uniform with that name and the old one will remain. You can, however, delete the old uniform name after doing this.
The bounds guide check box lets you create a body boundary rectangle for your uniform. If you check the Bounds Guide, the dotted rectangle appears. Resize the rectangle so it just contains the cast members head, feet, and both shoulders.
Whenever you change the uniform, it is important to adjust the sides of the bounds guide rectangle so it enclosed the head, feet, and shoulders of the cast member. This will make sure the cast member is displayed at the right size and position.
Always make sure to click the Save button when you have changed a uniform.
Click on the End button to get out of uniforms mode.
When you save your show, the uniforms are saved as part of the show. If you want to save your uniforms separately to use later in a different show, you can use the Save Uniforms command on the File menu.
Drawing Uniforms
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> View Dialogs
Title Page Dialog
This dialog allows you to store information about your show.
All you do is enter the information you want to store. All fields are optional. When you save your show, the information you entered is saved with the show.
This dialog comes from the View Title Page Menu Choice
When printing a show, you can check the box on the Print Options Dialog which will cause the information you entered on the Title Page dialog to be printed as a title page before your drill charts.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> View Dialogs
View Text Notes Dialog
This dialog is invoked from the Text Notes command on the View menu.
It shows a list of notes that have been added to your show. You can select a note in the list and delete it using the Delete button.
Text Notes are added using the Text Notes tool on the toolbar.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
Options Dialogs
These are dialogs for setting up options in the program.
Password Protect Show Dialog
Enter Show Password Dialog
Step Instruction Reference Dialog
Step Reference Defaults Dialog
Step Instruction Options Dialog
Animation Options Dialog
Field Options Dialog
Sections Dialog
View Options Dialog
Uniform Designer Dialog
Flag Designer Dialog
TrueView Flag Options Dialog
True View Options Dialog
Uniform Fabrics Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Password Protect Show Dialog
This dialog allows you to password protect your show.
You might want to password protect a show if you are storing it on your Field Artist Central web site. This allows users to preview the show but not print or save it. You might do this if you want to allow users to preview a show that you are offering for sale.
When you password protect your show, certain actions are restricted unless the user first enters a password. Users cannot save the show cast or uniforms, print the show, or alter the password protection unless the password is entered first.
To password protect the show, enter the password and then enter it again to confirm it. Passwords can contain only letters and numerals.
When you password protect a show, you have to remember the password (write it down) or you wont be able to save your show. It is a good idea to use the Save As command so you can save your show to a new file. That way, you will have a non-password protected copy of the show, in case you forget the password.
If you want to remove password protection from a show, check the box that says "Remove Password Protection". You have to enter the show password before you can remove password protection.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Enter Show Password Dialog
This dialog appears when users try to save or print a password protected show. If you invoke the Password Protect Show Menu Item, this dialog also appears.
You have to enter the password and click OK to continue.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Step Instruction Reference Dialog
This dialog comes from the Step Instruction Options dialog. You see this dialog when you are adding or changing an item on the list of step instruction references.
The coordinate charts and step instructions you can print for cast members give the exact position of the cast member on every set. This position is expressed in terms of the cast member's offset from the nearest vertical and horizontal references. The coordinate charts are more concise and smaller, and the step instructions are more detailed. Most people use the coordinate charts.
On the dialog, you can enter a name and offset position for the step reference. The reference can be either vertical or horizontal. The offsets for vertical references are measured from the left side of the field. The offsets for horizontal references are measured from the top of the field.
Vertical step references usually correspond to the yard lines on a football field. Horizontal step references correspond to hash marks or sidelines.
You can choose the units you want to use to enter the offset in either inches, steps, yards, or feet.
The display label is the label that is drawn on the field for this reference. Only vertical references can have display labels. In practice, this is used to display the yard line numbers for vertical yard lines which are used as step references. However you can make the display label anything you want.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Step Reference Defaults Dialog
This dialog appears when you press the defaults button on the Step Instruction Options Dialog to set default step references for your show.
The dialog lets you choose what kind of field you are writing your show for. The default step references for that kind of field will then be added when you click OK.
You can edit your step references further after choosing defaults, but these choices can give you a good starting point if you have changed the field dimensions for your show.
The choices you have correspond to the default field options available from the Field Options Dialog.
The regulation football field corresponds to the regulation dimensions and markings for a high school football field. The ideal football field is an idealized representation which has the field height set to 84 steps of 22.5 inches and the hash marks are 28 steps apart. This is more usual for designing marching band shows.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Step Instruction Options Dialog
The coordinate charts or step instructions you can print for cast members give the exact position of the cast member on every set. This position is expressed in terms of the cast member's offset from the nearest vertical and horizontal references.
Usually the reference points are yard lines, side lines, and hash marks. Hash marks and side lines are vertical reference points and yard lines are horizontal reference points.
When you change the field size, you should also change the Step Instructions options. Just as there are default buttons for common field sizes, there are also default buttons for common step instructions reference points.
The default step instruction references are for a regulation football field. If you click the defaults button it reverts to these standard default reference points.
If you want to, you can define your own reference points. Use the buttons to add, delete or change items in the list of reference points.
This dialog also gives you options about the units used for your step instructions (inches, steps, feet etc.) and the wording used.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Animation Options Dialog
This dialog comes from the Animation Options Menu Choice
This dialog is used to change the tempo of the internal timer which is used to set the speed of animation when not synching to a MIDI file.
You can also set the default form spacing, default step size and the maximum step size here. Fixed spacing for individual forms can also be set on the Form Properties Dialog
The "Play Songs" check box allows you to turn off music play. If you uncheck the "Play Songs" check box, your show music won't play. Check the box to play songs you have included in the show.
The maximum step size is used to determine whether your paths should display in red when showing the transition paths from one set to the next. When the maximum step size is exceeded on a transition, the paths show in red. Then you can use the Insert / Delete Steps Menu Choice to insert more steps as needed.
If you enter a new value into Highest Step, you can increase the number of steps in your show.
The Substeps setting can be used to vary the smoothness of animation. You will use less memory and processor resources if you set this value lower, but your animation will not look as smooth. If you set the value higher, your animation will be smoother, but the program will use more memory and slower computers may have trouble keeping pace with the animation.
The "Auto Crab" check box is checked by default. If this box is checked, performers who are carrying percussion instruments in TrueView such as snares and bass drums will crab step automatically when moving sideways. Uncheck the box to turn off this behavior.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Field Options Dialog
This dialog comes from the Field Menu item on the Options menu.
Use this dialog to define the shape and size of your field and the spacing of lines on the field. There is a preview on the dialog that shows what the field will look like with the current lines and hash marks you define.
You can specify your units in inches, yards, meters, feet, or steps. To change to a different type of units, choose a type of unit from the Units dropdown. Existing measurements will be converted to the new units.
There are default field types available for regulation football, indoor guard, and others. To revert to a default field type, choose a default field type from the dropdown.
Whenever you change the size of your field, you should change the reference points that are used in coordinate charts so they will match your field size. These are changed on the Step Instruction Options Dialog
The regulation football field corresponds to the regulation dimensions and markings for a high school football field. The ideal football field is an idealized representation which has the field height set to 84 steps of 22.5 inches and the hash marks are 28 steps apart. This is more usual for designing marching band shows.
When printing step instructions, the coordinates for each position are given in terms of offsets from the nearest reference point ( hash mark, field line, sidelines ). The default ones match the dimensions of a regulation football field. So if you change to another type of field it is very important to change your step instruction reference points, or else the step instructions that are printed will not match the lines on the field. Do this by using the Step Instruction Reference Dialog
You can specify any width and height for your field. The border is the blank portion on the top and sides of the field. if you have a nearly square field, define the border so the field remains visible in the window.
If you have a long field such as a parade, define it with longer width rather than a longer height. This will make it scale better in your window.
You can define as many lines and hash marks for your field as you want. The lines and hash marks are displayed in lists. To add a line or hash mark, click the Add buttons and fill in the options. To change or delete an existing line or hash mark, first select it in the list.
Lines can be vertical or horizontal. Check the "Repeating" box if you want the line to repeat. Vertical lines repeat horizontall and horizontal lines repeat vertically. Fill in the offset if you want the first line of a repeating series to start at a different offset. For example, you can have a repeating vertical line where the first line starts 5 yards from the left edge and the rest of the lines repeat every 10 yards. Check the TrueView box if you want the line to show up in TrueView.
Lines always extend to the edges of the field, but Hashes can be any length you want. Choose Horizontal or Vertical to display the hash pointing horizontal or vertical. Repeating hashes always repeat horizontally. You can specify an offset and horizontal spacing to control how the hashes are spaced horizontally. Enter a vertical spacing to control how far the hashes are placed from the top edge of the field. Use the True View check box to indicate whether the hash mark is visible in True View.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Sections Dialog
This dialog comes from the Sections menu item on the Options command.
Your new show starts with default section names and symbols. You can accept these, edit them or add new ones of your own choosing. You can define as many sections as you want.
You can make the sections more or less detailed depending on your needs. For instance, you could have different sections for Baritones, Tubas, Trumpets, Trombones and Mellophone, each with its own equipment defined. Or instead, you could choose to have one section for upper brass and one section for lower brass, each with its own default uniforms and equipment. Then within each cast member, you can choose to let them use the default uniforms and equipment for their section, or override the section values and choose their own uniforms and equipment.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
View Options Dialog
This dialog comes from the View item on the Options menu.
It allows you to change various options about how cast members, paths, drawing grids, etc. display on your field.
If you hover your mouse over each element on this dialog, a note will appear describing what the element is for.
The options on the dialog are divided into sections which group them together according to similar function.
Here is a description of what the options do, grouped by area:
Cast Captions
Show Cast Captions: check this box if you want to show a caption beside each cast member on the field. This is a caption that goes next to the cast member, it is distinct from the ability to display the cast members themselves as letter symbols. Usually you will use a symbol to indicate the section and then individual caption numbers to distinguish each performer within a section.
As Caption: This is the option you will usually want to use. You can enter your own caption for every cast member. You can enter the cast member's caption on the Cast Properties dialog or on the Define Cast dialog. Check this radio button if you want to display cast member captions as the custom caption you have assigned. This is useful if you want to assign a number to each cast member within a section.
As Index: choose this radio button if you want to display each cast caption as their numeric index on the current form. This changes as the cast members move from form to form during a show.
As Symbol: choose this radio button if you want to display each member's caption as their letter symbol which can be assigned in the Cast Properties Dialog
As ID Number: Field Artist assigns a unique ID number to each cast member you create. Choose this radio button if you want that ID number to display as the caption.
Caption Font: click this button to choose a font style for your captions.
Caption Size: enter a larger or smaller number in this box to control the caption size for your cast members. Sizes are in inches.
Connector Length: captions are displayed either on the cast symbols or beside them, connected by short lines. You can use this option to change the length of the connecting lines in inches.
Drawing Grid
Grid Inches: enter the number of inches you want the grid size to be. The grid will display as a dot ever X inches on the field.
Show Grid: check this box if you want to display the drawing grid.
Snap To Grid: check this box if you want to have your forms snap to the grid when you are drawing.
Cast Appearance
Show Cast As Symbols: check this box if instead of showing your cast members as squares in 2D, you want to show the letter symbols. You can define letter symbols for each cast member in the Cast Properties Dialog or in the Define Cast Dialog
Symbol Background: check this box if you want to include a background behind your letter symbols for cast members.
Symbol Font: click this button to choose a font style for your cast members when displaying them as symbols.
Letter Symbol Size: this number controls the size of the letter symbols used when you are displaying cast members as letter symbols.
New cast size: the default width in inches for cast members you create is 22.5 inches. Enter a different value in this box to affect the default width for new cast members you create. This does not affect cast members you have already created.
Cast Outline Width: this controls the thickness of the outline around each cast member when you are displaying them as squares.
Sideline Partially Homeless: On any step of the show, performers should be either on a form or between two forms. This determines their placement. Homeless performers have no past, current, or future form. They are always placed off the top of the field past the visitor sidelines. Partially homeless performers have a future form or a past form, but not both. If the Sideline Partially Homeless box is checked, partially homeless performers are sidelined. If the box is not checked, partially homeless performers are placed on their location on their most recent past form, if any; or if they have no past form they are placed on their location on their nearest future form. This can be much more useful for creating shows especially when you sometimes want to work backwards or change the earlier placement of certain performers.
If this checkbox is checked, people who do not have a next place to be will always be put on the sideline. If the box is not checked, people who do not have a next place to be will stick in whatever formation they were on a previous step. This can make show writing more convenient. People who have no assignments on any formation past or future, will always be placed on the sideline.
Smooth Lines ( slower ): If this box is checked, the display draws cleaner, with less jagged lines. It does make the program run slower though, so if you are experiencing sluggishness, uncheck this option.
Forms
Size Handle Size: this number controls the size of the drawing handles you use when editing forms.
Point Handle Size: this number controls the size of Point Handles used when drawing forms.
Show Paths: check this box if you want to see the path each cast member has followed from the previous form.
Show Future Paths: check this box if you want to see the path each cast member will follow to the next form.
New Form Line Width: this number controls the line thickness of new forms that you draw. It does not affect existing forms.
Show Forms In 3D: check this box if you want your forms to be displayed when you are viewing the show in 3D.
Show Forms In 2D: check this box if you want your forms to be displayed when you are viewing the show in 2D. Normally this is always what you want especially while editing a show. Occasionally you may want to turn this off when printing a screen shot.
Show While Animating: check this box if you want forms to be displayed when you are viewing the animated show.
Show When Printing: if this box is checked, form lines appear on your printouts. If not, the form lines do not appear on printouts.
Default Bezier Curve Tension: this is the default tension that is used when creating new Bezier Curves. The tension affects the appearance of the curve by influencing how the placement of the handles determine its shape. You can further adjust the tension of any Bezier curve by using the form properties form.
Default Hermite Curve Tension: this is the default tension that is used when creating new Hermite Curves. The tension affects the appearance of the curve by influencing how the placement of the handles determine its shape. You can further adjust the tension of any Hermite curve by using the form properties form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Uniform Designer Dialog
This dialog is invoked from the True View Options dialog. It allows you to customize the appearance of uniforms in the True View window.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Flag Designer Dialog
This dialog is invoked from the True View Options dialog. It allows you to customize the appearance of flags in the True View window.
The types of flags available are shown in a list. When you click on a flag type in a list, it appears in the window. To change the options for a flag, click the "Change" button. This will invoke the TrueView Flag Options dialog. When you are finished making all the changes you want,
You can specify images for flags. If you use images for flags, those image files must be copied to any other computers that you want to run the show on. They are not automatically included in the show file itself. You have to make sure the flag images exist in the same file path on any computer that you want to run the show on.
You can specify the shape of the flag by using the choices on this dialog, or you can design a completely custom flag using the Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog and then specify the name of your drawing using the Custom field on this dialog. To specify a name of a Custom flag you have to choose it from the list of available drawings. To not use a custom flag, choose "none" from the list.
When using a Custom flag, any images on the flag are specified on the shapes when drawing the custom flag, not by choosing the image on this dialog. Each shape on a Custom flag can have its own image, or no image.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
TrueView Flag Options Dialog
This dialog is invoked when you click "Change" for one of the flag types in the Flag Designer dialog.
You can vary the size and shape of the flag you are editing by filling in values for the width, height and other variables. When you select a preset from the "Shape" dropdown list, values are filled in for you which correspond to some common useful shapes. You can edit these further by typing measurements in each individual field. (NOTE: the TRIANGLE, PENNANT, and NOTCHED flag shape presets are ignored if the Flutter Flags option is checked in the True View Options Dialog
You can add an image to your flag by clicking the "Find" button next to the image field. If you distribute your show, any flag images you used must accompany the show or the image won't show up on the flag. Click "X" to get rid of the image.
Many flag images are included with the Field Artist install. You can also use other images you find, or create your own images.
If you don't want to use an image, you can create a color pattern for your flag by choosing one or more colors and checking the boxes beside the ones you want to use. You can select a color pattern and color blend style from the Pattern and Blend drop down lists.
There are two image slots for flags. If you choose the first image for your flag, that image appears on both sides of the flag. If you specify both the first and second image, you can have different images on both sides of your flag. If you choose a second image but not a first image, then you will have an image on one side of the flag and a color pattern on the other side.
To see both sides of the flag, you have to close the Flag Options Dialog and rotate the flag model in the Flag Designer Dialog by dragging the mouse in the preview window.
It is possible to specify custom shapes for flags by creating a drawing in the Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog. When you create a custom flag shape in this way, you should include the pole in your drawing. Images specified in the Flag Options dialog are ignored for custom flags. If you want an image on a custom flag, you must specify an image for its shape in the Shape Properties Dialog when you draw the custom flag.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
True View Options Dialog
This dialog allows you to enter settings which influence the appearance of the True View window.
You can invoke this dialog from the True View Options menu item on the Options menu.
From this dialog you can also access the Uniform Designer and Flag Designer which allow you to customize the appearance of uniforms and flags in TrueView.
You can also choose a setting for your skybox type on this dialog. This selects the appearance of the sky and clouds in the background.
The TrueView scene has a stadium and a track and goalposts and some other features. Use the checkboxes on this options dialog to turn those physical features on or off. If you turn off the sky, you can instead choose a skybox color in the Colors Dialog which will become the background color for your scene. This is useful if you want to do an indoor show and want to choose a reasonable wall color for the building you are in. You can also turn off the field grass and choose a reasonable floor color instead using the Colors dialog.
Field Artist has fluttering flag silks animation in True View. If you want flag silks to ripple in TrueView, check the box for "Flutter Flags". If your animation is running too slowly, you can turn that feature off by unchecking the box. Flag fluttering does not work with custom flags.
The "Line Thickness" and "Line Width" settings allow you to set the width and thickness in inches, of the field lines and hash marks that are drawn in True View. On some systems the lines may appear jagged or broken due to the nature of different types of graphics hardware. If this is the case on your computer, you can correct the problem by making the lines thicker and/or wider. You may enter fractional amounts in these fields.
If you set the lines to be thicker, you may find that they interfere with tarps. If this is the case, you may have to adjust the elevation of your tarps so the lines don't show through.
You can also choose drum skins, horn skins, and drum heads for your band in this dialog.
TrueView takes up a lot of memory. On some computers, this may tax the limits of the system's capabilities. If you want to reduce the amount of memory used by TrueView, you can do that by disabling some of the options. In particular, uncheck the box that says "Allow Skins." This will prevent any faces from being added to the cast members. Also, you can uncheck the options for goal posts, stadium, track, and even the sky. Further, you can choose "NONE" for the drum skins and instrument skins. All of these things will cause TrueView to use less memory.
A further way to reduce memory used by TrueView is to not use uniform fabrics on your uniforms, and not use images on your flags.
If you need to further improve performance on slower computers, you can turn off the Flutter Flags feature.
You can use your own custom images for the field, infield and outfield. The field is the performing surface. The infield is the grassy area inside the track but outside of the performing area (the infield only appears if the track is used). The outfield is everything else outside of the performing area.
To use a custom image for the field, infield, or outfield, copy the desired image into the scenery folder under your FieldArtist directory in My Documents. Do not replace the default images for field, infield and outfield because these are overwritten when the program starts. Instead give your images different names and choose those files using the browse buttons on the TrueView options dialog.
There are some presets you can select from a list which will set a lot of TrueView options for you at once. You can choose a preset from the list and then further change any individual options you want to change. Here is a list of the presets:
Outdoor
This preset chooses options that are compatible with an outdoor show on a football field.
Indoor
This preset choose options that are compatible with an indoor show such as percussion or color guard.
Low Memory
This preset turns off all images and textures in TrueView to make it use less memory. You should not choose this option unless you want to see TrueView but your computer is having trouble keeping up because of a slow processor and/or small amount of memory.
Choosing a TrueView preset does not change the size of the field. You have to do that using the Field Options Dialog
You can use the "Allow Editing" checkbox to turn editing of forms in TrueView on or off.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Options Dialogs
Uniform Fabrics Dialog
This dialog is invoked from clicking the Edit (Fabrics) button on the Uniform Designed dialog.
Using this dialog, you can design sets of fabrics that allow you to add more details and further customize the appearance of your TrueView uniforms.
You start with a default fabric set. To make a custom fabric set, first click the Save As button to save the fabric set under a new name. Then click on the panels to edit the individual bitmaps. If you hover the mouse over each panel, a message will appear telling you which part of the uniform that image corresponds to.
To edit an image, click on the panel. An editor will appear with that image loaded. Just draw the details you want, then save your image and close the editor. Your changes won't appear in the dialog until you click the Refresh button.
You can save as many fabric sets as you want. Click the Open button to open an existing fabric set. You can edit the fabric set further, or click Save As to clone it under a new name.
When you share shows with other people, you will have to also send them the image files for any uniform fabrics you have created that you reference in that show. They go in the "fabrics" directory in the Field Artist folder under "My Documents."
To delete a fabric set, first open that fabric set and then click the Delete button.
Not every fabric set has to contain all the possible images. For instance, you may want to use a custom fabric only for the torso, leaving the other parts of the uniform a solid color. To delete an image from a fabric set, right click on the panel for that image and choose "Delete" from the pop-up menu.
To set one image in a fabric set back to the default, right click on the panel for that image and choose "Default" from the popup menu.
You do not have to use Microsoft Paint to edit your fabrics. You can use any image editing software. You can't change the names or extensions of the image files, and they must be stored in the fabrics directory in your FieldArtist3 folder.
Don't change the width and height of the fabric image files. Making them bigger will adversely affect performance.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
Edit Dialogs
These are dialogs having to do with editing the show
Shape Properties Dialog
Tape Measure Result Dialog
Text Note Dialog
Insert / Delete Steps Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Edit Dialogs
Shape Properties Dialog
This dialog is displayed when you right click on a shape in Uniforms Drawing Mode and choose Properties from the menu, or when you select multiple shapes and choose Properties from the Shapes Menu on the main menu.
The dialog allows you to change the type of the selected shape, as well as its colors, outline thickness, etc.
The Uniform Colors drop down on the shape properties dialog allows you to choose a pre-defined uniform color for the shape you are drawing. The pre-defined uniform colors can be viewed or changed by going to the Colors Dialog on the Options Menu. If you do not want to use a pre-defined uniform color for the shape you are drawing, choose "None - Use Fill Color" and the shape will be filled with the color you choose from the Color dialog from the Fill Color button.
The advantage of using pre-defined uniform colors is that, if you decide to change your uniform colors later on, you can change them in one place ( the Colors Dialog ) instead of having to change every single uniform.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Edit Dialogs
Tape Measure Result Dialog
This dialog appears when you have double-clicked to end a measurement using the Tape Measure tool.
It displays the length of the path you measured, in inches, feet, steps, and yards.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Edit Dialogs
Text Note Dialog
This dialog comes from using the Text Note tool. You choose the Text Note tool by clicking the T icon on the toolbar.
To add a text note to a step, choose the Text Note tool from the toolbar, and then double click on your field to view the Text Note dialog. Fill in the note you want to add and click Ok. A note will be added to that step of the show.
To put a note in a specific location on the field, double click on that location. If you want to move a note you already created, just use the Text Note tool to click on the note text to select it, then use the same tool to drag it to a new location.
You can type in the text for the note you want to add, and choose a font, color and size for the note.
If you want the note to appear for more than just one step, you can fill in an end step.
If you click the Boxed check box, the note will appear with a box around it.
If you check the check box for Fixed Position, the text note will always stay in the same relative position in the program window, regardless of how you pan and zoom the field. If you do not check the fixed position text box, the note is affixed to a position on your show field, and the note moves when you move or zoom the field. Notes with the Fixed Position attribute display in 3D mode, but others do not. Usually you do not want to check the Fixed Position box.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Edit Dialogs
Insert / Delete Steps Dialog
This dialog comes from the Insert / Delete Steps Menu Choice.
To use this dialog, first select the radio button for either inserting or deleting steps. Enter the number of steps you want to insert or delete.
The dialog defaults to the current step when it comes up.
If you want a different step, you have to enter the step before which you want to insert or delete steps.
Instead of typing in the number of the step, you can select a set from the list of sets provided on the dialog and the step number of that set will be entered automatically.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
Online Dialogs
These are dialogs having to do with internet functions of the program
Online Validate Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> Online Dialogs
Online Validate Dialog
Invoke this dialog from the Online Validate Menu Item
This dialog lets you enter your user name and password to validate your software features and check for new versions that are available.
Your user name and password are picked by you when you create a free account on the Field Artist Central website.
Trial users need an account, too. When you buy the software your account level is set to full user which enables all the software features.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs
File Dialogs
Print Options Dialog
Manage 3D Props Dialog / Add 3D Props Dialog
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> File Dialogs
Print Options Dialog
This dialog comes up whenever you are printing.
If you use the File Print Menu Choice on the File menu, this dialog will appear.
Just check the radio button for the type of item you want to print.
You can't print uniforms unless you are in Uniforms Mode. This happens when you have chosen the Draw Uniforms Menu Choice from the view menu.
When in Uniform Mode, you can't print the show sets. You have to exit from uniforms mode to print show charts.
The cast list, forms list, and step instructions don't print directly to a printer. Instead they save to a document and then display the document in whatever document viewing application is installed on your computer. Usually this will be Word, Wordpad, or Notepad. You can then make any editing changes you want to the document and print it from there.
You can print the coordinate charts either to a file, or directly to the printer. Just choose the radio button for the type of method you want to use to print the coordinate charts.
You can enter a begin and end step for printing show charts, coordinate charts or step instructions. This will limit the items printed to those that lie within the specified step range.
If your show has songs, you can choose a song from the list and the beginning and end step will be filled in with the step range of that song. To clear it, select the empty item from the song list.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Dialogs >> File Dialogs
Manage 3D Props Dialog / Add 3D Props Dialog
This dialog lets you build a list of 3D props and custom 3D instruments for your show. The props are references to files created with Calder4D (available on the web site).
You can assign 3D props to cast members. They appear in TrueView mode. Cast changes can also change the prop assignments for a cast member on a particular step of the show.
All your 3D props and associated image files must be kept in the 'props' directory in your 'FieldArtist3' folder under My Documents.
3D prop files are created from models stored in XAML files (a Microsoft standard). They can be created with Calder4D, or any other 3D program that saves to the XAML format. A few simple 3D props are included with your Field Artist installation. Props can be shared between users. A prop that you create can be used in any Field artist show. All you have to do is send the XAML file and any associated image files to the person you want to share the prop with.
You can set scaling factors when you import your props. Use the Scale X, Scale Y, and Scale Z factors to make your props bigger or smaller in the show. You can also set the Elevation property which gives a height in inches. This allows you to raise the 3D prop into the air. It is advisable to raise 3D tarps a half inch or so in order for them to clear the field lines.
You can also set the Offset properties to shift the prop back to front and side to side. These only take effect if the prop is used as a 3D instrument.
You can further customize your props by substituting the images and colors with other images and colors. This is done using the image and colors buttons on the Add / Change 3D props dialog. The lists of colors and/or images you choose will be substituted in order for the existing images and colors defined in the XAML files for the props. In this way you can personalize and reuse the built in props that are distributed with Field Artist by adding your own images. The colors and images are applied in order. To change the order of colors and images, use the Up/Down buttons beside the lists in the dialog.
Changing an image for a prop only has an effect if the prop already contains one or more images. You can't use it to add an image to a prop that didn't previously have one. Changing prop colors doesn't have any effect if the prop has only images. It only affects props that have areas of solid color that are not covered with images.
3D prop models can be assigned to cast members as props or as instruments. When used as props, the cast member the prop is assigned to is not seen. When used as instruments, the cast member is still seen. To use a prop as an instrument, it is crucially important to carefully set the scaling and offset factors so the prop will be see in the right orientation to the cast member.
When importing a custom 3D instrument (equipment), you can enter angles for the arm position of cast members who are holding the instrument. Enter the angles for shoulders, elbows, and left and right hands. If the model is to be used as a prop and not as equipment, you can just leave these values set to 0.
The same prop model can be included more than once under different names, with different scaling factors and images and colors.
Several 3D models for use as props are included in the installation. Most of them have images associated with them. The files for the props and their associated images are stored in the Props folder under My Documents/FieldArtist3. To change the images for a prop, just edit the images using any image editing software, or copy another image over the existing one. Using images which are too large will adversely affect performance. You can also substitute other image names for the images in the prop. This is done from the Add / Change prop dialog.
Props will move around as the cast member they are assigned to moves around. Like any cast member, they face in the direction of travel by default. To make your 3D props maintain a particular facing direction, apply a facing animation to the cast member assigned to that prop. For more about cast changes and animations, click Cast Changes
For the sake of convenience, you can store the name and scaling factors, the offsets and the custom colors and images in a prop file with the extension ".3pr". You do this by using the button on the Add/Change 3D prop dialog that says "Save As 3D Prop File." When you save the file as a 3D prop file, you have to save it in the props directory. The 3D prop file (.3pr file) contains the name of the XAML file for the prop model, plus any scaling factors, offset, colors and images you have applied. This way, you can re-use the same prop in different shows without having to retype the scaling and other information.
To import a previously saved prop file (.3pr file) into your show, you use the same Add/Change 3D prop dialog, but when you browse for the prop, click the button that says Browse Props instead of the Browse Models button.
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>> Field Artist Help
Toolbar Buttons
The toolbar is the horizontal row of buttons right under the main menu, near the top. From here you can choose the viewing, drawing and selecting tools which allow you to do most of your work in Field Artist.
The toolbar buttons are more or less grouped into functional areas, which are described below.
If you hover your mouse pointer over each toolbar button, a description of what it is for will appear.
A lot of the toolbar buttons have menu choices that correspond to them. Some of those menu choices have keyboard shortcuts. You can always tell the keyboard shortcut for a menu command by looking beside it on the menu. Menu items that have keyboard shortcuts will have the shortcut spelled out beside the name.
If a menu command has a shortcut, you can invoke it just by pressing the key. Make sure the Field Artist window has the focus when you do that. For the toolbar buttons that have corresponding menu choices, you can press the key shortcut if it exists, instead of pressing the button.
Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Animation Toolbar Buttons
View Toolbar Buttons
Help Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons
Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
These buttons help you to move cast and forms around the screen, edit and change forms, and make measurements.
If you hover your mouse pointer over each toolbar button, a description of what it is for will appear.
Select Forms Toolbar Button
Rotate Forms Toolbar Button
Select Cast Toolbar Button
Lasso Toolbar Button
Shift Cast Toolbar Button
Custom Path Toolbar Button
Tape Measure Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Select Forms Toolbar Button
Clicking this button causes the Forms Selection tool to be the current tool. Your mouse pointer changes to an arrow when in the field view.
This tool can be used in all views. However, Folllow the Leader editing cannot be done in TrueView.
This tool is for selecting and moving forms and editing FTl (follow the leader) paths.
Related topics:
Selecting Forms
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Rotate Forms Toolbar Button
Click this button to get a tool for Rotating Forms
This tool cannot be used in TrueView mode.
In uniform drawing mode, you can also use this tool to rotate drawing shapes, but only if they are polygons.
Click this link for more about rotating forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Select Cast Toolbar Button
Click this toolbar button to choose a tool for Selecting Cast Members
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Lasso Toolbar Button
Use this button to choose the Lasso tool. This tool allows you to select cast members by drawing a path around them. The cast members on the inside of the path you draw will become selected.
Click in an open area to deselect all the cast.
To use the Lasso, draw a path with the lasso tool which encloses the people you want to select. This is useful for selecting odd groups of people that do not fit well within a box. To draw a shape with the lasso tool, either drag the mouse or make a series of single clicks. You can combine drags and single clicks. Always use double click to finish.
For more information, see Selecting Cast Members
This tool does not work in TrueView mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Shift Cast Toolbar Button
This button selects a tool that allows you to shift the position of cast members on a form.
To use the tool, click and drag on the cast members along the outline of the form they are assigned to.
This tool does not work in TrueView mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Custom Path Toolbar Button
This button gives you a tool that is used to draw custom paths.
A custom path is a path you can define which a cast member follows from one set to the next.
To use the custom path tool, you must be on a set that has some ending forms for some cast members who are in custom path transition mode.
This tool does not work in TrueView mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Selection And Editing Toolbar Buttons
Tape Measure Toolbar Button
Choosing this button allows you to draw a polygon anywhere on the field.
To draw, either make a series of single clicks, or click and drag to draw continuously.
Double click to end your line.
If you want to draw a single line, click once for the beginning, then double click for the end.
When you double click, a small dialog pops up which tells you the length of the path you drew, in inches, steps, feet, and yards.
This tool does not work in TrueView mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons
Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
These buttons let you draw forms.
If you hover your mouse pointer over each toolbar button, a description of what it is for will appear.
Draw Line Toolbar Button
Draw Ellipse Toolbar Button
Draw Rectangle Toolbar Button
Draw Bezier Curve Toolbar Button
Draw Hermite Curve Toolbar Button
Draw Closed Polygon Toolbar Button
Draw Polygon Toolbar Button
Draw Arc Toolbar Button
Draw Arc 2 Toolbar Button
Text Note Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Line Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw lines
Lines are usually used as forms to line up cast on.
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Ellipse Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw ellipses
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Rectangle Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw rectangles
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Bezier Curve Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw Bezier curves
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Hermite Curve Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw Hermite curves
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Closed Polygon Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw closed polygons
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Polygon Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw polygons
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Arc Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw arcs
The arc drawn with this tool is a segment of an ellipse. You can scale the ellipse and move the endpoints using the handles provided.
For a more typical 3-point arc, use Arc 2.
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Draw Arc 2 Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can draw the Arc 2
Arc 2 in a 3-point arc which always forms a segment of a circle.
This tool works in all views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Drawing Shapes Toolbar Buttons
Text Note Toolbar Button
Use this tool bar to choose a tool which can add text notes to your show. This tool only works in the overhead or perspective views, not in TrueView.
Double click anywhere on the field to get the Text Note Dialog, which allows you to enter the text and properties for your text note.
You can move existing text notes around the field by clicking and dragging them with the text note tool.
You can double click on an existing note with the Text Note tool to change its properties.
If you single click on a text note, it will become selected, and you can delete it using the delete key.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons
Animation Toolbar Buttons
These buttons let you animate your show, or just go to a different step or a different set.
If you hover your mouse pointer over each toolbar button, a description of what it is for will appear.
Previous Set Toolbar Button
Next Set Toolbar Button
Step Back Toolbar Button
Step Forward Toolbar Button
Rewind Toolbar Button
Stop Toolbar Button
Play Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Animation Toolbar Buttons
Previous Set Toolbar Button
This button takes the show to the previous set.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Animation Toolbar Buttons
Next Set Toolbar Button
This button takes the show to the next set.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Animation Toolbar Buttons
Step Back Toolbar Button
This toolbar button looks like a foot pointing left. It brings the show one step backward.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Animation Toolbar Buttons
Step Forward Toolbar Button
This toolbar button looks like a foot. It advances the show by one step.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Animation Toolbar Buttons
Rewind Toolbar Button
This button takes you back to the beginning of the show and then stops.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Animation Toolbar Buttons
Stop Toolbar Button
This button stops the animation and song playback.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> Animation Toolbar Buttons
Play Toolbar Button
This button begins the animation. If you are on a step in your show that has a midi or audio song, it will start the song at the proper point for the current step, and synchronize in time with the music playback. If no midi or audio song exists for the current step, it will synchronize to the internal timer. You can change the speed of the internal timer on the Animation Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons
View Toolbar Buttons
These buttons change your view of the field.
If you hover your mouse pointer over each toolbar button, a description of what it is for will appear.
Slide View Toolbar Button
Zoom In Toolbar Button
Zoom Out Toolbar Button
Zoom Normal Toolbar Button
Zoom Select Toolbar Button
3D View Toolbar Button
Overview Toolbar Button
TrueView Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
Slide View Toolbar Button
If you choose this toolbar button, it changes your mouse pointer to a tool that looks like the four-headed arrow on the button.
To slide your view of the field around, touch the main view panel at any point and click and drag. You can slide the view by doing this. When you are zoomed in, this allows you to pan to different parts of the view without using the scroll bars. This works in overhead view, perspective view, and TrueView.
If you use your right mouse button instead of the left mouse button with this tool, it allows you to change the height and rotation of the 3D view without using the height and rotation panels. This only works in either draft 3D mode or TrueView mode. You hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse from side to side in order to rotate the 3D view. You hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse up and down to change the 3D view height.
If you hold down the shift key and the left mouse button and move the mouse, you can zoom your view in or out using the Slide View tool. to zoom in, move the mouse right or down while holding down the shift key and the left mouse button. To zoom out, move the mouse up or left while holding down the shift key and the left mouse button.
If you double click with the Slide View tool, it zooms you to normal zoom.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
Zoom In Toolbar Button
Click this button to zoom in a small amount. To zoom in further, click the button multiple times.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
Zoom Out Toolbar Button
Click this button to zoom out by a small amount. To zoom out further, click the button multiple times.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
Zoom Normal Toolbar Button
This button returns the field to its normal view after zooming in.
IT also returns the field to its normal orientation if it has been rotated or panned.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
Zoom Select Toolbar Button
If you click this button, you get a tool that lets you drag a box with your mouse pointer in the field view. This causes the view to zoom in to show the area you selected in the box.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
3D View Toolbar Button
This button toggles between the 2D view and the draft 3D view.
The draft 3D view displays cast members with flat uniforms that are always facing the viewer. You can still select and edit forms and select and edit cast members in draft 3D mode.
There is also a True View which is invoked by selecting the View True View Menu Item and which shows dimensional characters in a more realistic environment. You can also press CTRL + X to invoke the True View.
<<< Previous Next >>>
>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
Overview Toolbar Button
This button toggles between the normal view and the Overview Panel
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons >> View Toolbar Buttons
TrueView Toolbar Button
This button looks like a green cube. You can click this button to get into or out of TrueView.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Toolbar Buttons
Help Toolbar Button
The Help toolbar button is a question mark which brings up this help file.
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>> Field Artist Help
Menus
Menus are commands you can select that are identified by text.
The main menu is near the top of the screen.
There are also popup menus that can appear if you right click on cast members or forms.
Main Menu
Popup Menus
Key Shortcuts
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus
Main Menu
The main menu is the horizontal menu near the top of the Field Artist application. A lot of commands can only be performed by choosing them from this main menu.
File Menu
Edit Menu
Cast Menu
Draw menu
Forms Menu
Animate Menu
View Menu
Options Menu
Help Menu
Shapes Menu
Online Menu
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
File Menu
These menu items let you handle show files, cast files, uniforms files, and 3D prop files.
File Exit Menu Choice
File New Menu Choice
File Save Menu Choice
File Save As Menu Choice
File Open Menu Choice
File Print Menu Choice
File Save Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
File Open Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
File Merge Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
File Default Uniforms Menu Choice
File Delete Unused Uniforms Menu Item
File Save Cast Menu Choice
File Open Cast Menu Choice
File Continue Show Menu Item
File Manage 3D Props Menu Item
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Exit Menu Choice
This menu item will close the program.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File New Menu Choice
This menu item creates a new empty show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Save Menu Choice
This menu item will save your current show.
When you make a brand new show, you have to do a File Save As Menu Choice command the first time, so you can give the show a name. Each time after that, you can use the Save command ( Ctrl+S ).
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Save As Menu Choice
Use this to save a show and give it a new name, or to save a brand new show that does not yet have a name.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Open Menu Choice
Use this command to open an existing show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Print Menu Choice
Using this command will display the Print Options Dialog, which allows you to choose the kind of items you want to print.
Print Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Save Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
If you have defined custom uniforms, this command allows you to save them to a file so that you can use them later on in other shows.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Open Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
This menu command allows you to open a file containing a set of uniforms that you have previously saved.
If you open a set of uniforms, it replaces any uniforms you have defined in your current show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Merge Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
If you choose this option, you can open a uniforms file and merge it with your current uniforms instead of replacing them.
Where an existing uniform has the same name as a uniform from the file you are opening, the name of the added uniform will have one or more "1"s appended to the end as needed to make all the names unique.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Default Uniforms Menu Choice
This command loads the built-in default uniforms into your current show. If you use this command, any current uniforms you have defined for the current show will be lost.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Delete Unused Uniforms Menu Item
This menu item allows you to delete any ( draft 3D ) uniforms in your show that are not being used for any cast member or any cast member change. It prompts you for a confirmation before deleting the uniforms. Deleting unused uniforms keeps your show smaller and more efficient.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Save Cast Menu Choice
This menu item allows you to save just the cast for your show. This might be useful if you want to write a different show later using the same cast.
When you save a cast, you are saving the properties for all the cast members, as well as the current uniforms and uniform list library. The section names are also saved.
Your forms are not saved, nor are the cast assignments on the forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Open Cast Menu Choice
This command lets you open a cast you have previously saved. If you already have a show with cast, using this command will cause you to lose any cast members in that show, as well as all their form assignments. The cast members you open will not be assigned to any form.
The best time to use this command is if you are writing a brand new show with a cast you have previously defined for another show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Continue Show Menu Item
This menu item makes it easy to continue your show in a new file.
Files can grow too large and the program can run too slowly if you do an entire show in one file, so it is better to break the show up into different files for each song or for different segments of the show.
When you use this command, it creates a new show in which the first set of the show is the same as the last set of the existing show. Then you are prompted to save the new show under a different name.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> File Menu
File Manage 3D Props Menu Item
Use this menu item to display the Manage 3D Props dialog which lets you import 3D models for props which you can then incorporate into your show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Edit Menu
Select Forms Tool Menu Choice
Rotate Tool Menu Choice
Select Cast Tool Menu Choice
Lasso Tool Menu Choice
Shift Cast Tool Menu Choice
Custom Path Tool Menu Choice
Tape Measure Menu Choice
Undo Menu Choice
Redo Menu Choice
Insert / Delete Steps Menu Choice
Trim To Last Set
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Select Forms Tool Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the Forms Selection tool.
It has the same effect as the Select Forms Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Rotate Tool Menu Choice
This menu choice selects the rotation tool for rotating forms.
It has the same effect as the Rotate Forms Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Select Cast Tool Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the cast selection tool. It has the same effect as the Select Cast Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Lasso Tool Menu Choice
This menu item selects the Lasso tool.
It has the same effect as the Lasso Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Shift Cast Tool Menu Choice
This menu item selects the Shift Cast tool.
It has the same effect as the Shift Cast Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Custom Path Tool Menu Choice
This menu choice selects the Custom Path tool.
It has the same effect as the Custom Path Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Tape Measure Menu Choice
This menu item selects the tape measure tool.
It has the same effect as the Tape Measure Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Undo Menu Choice
This menu choice will undo the most recent action that can be undone.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Redo Menu Choice
This menu choice will redo the last action that was undone, if possible.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Insert / Delete Steps Menu Choice
This menu item invokes the Insert / Delete Steps Dialog to insert or delete steps from the show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Edit Menu
Trim To Last Set
This menu item trims to show so that the highest step of the show corresponds to the step of the last set in the show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Cast Menu
These menu items all apply to cast members. Click on the links in the list below for descriptions.
Cast Properties Menu Choice
Cast Transition Mode Menu Choice
Cast Caption Position Menu
Make Cast Menu Item
Cast Delete Menu Choice
Edit Cast Changes Menu Choice
Apply Cast Changes Menu Choice
Cast Blend Flag Animations Menu Item
Cast Unblend Flag Animations Menu Item
Cast Flag Machine Menu Item
Cast Custom Animations Menu Choice
Cast Select Menu Item
Create Formation From Selected Cast
Reverse Selected Cast Menu Choice
Cast Arrange Menu
Show Step Instructions Menu Choice
Cast Print Coordinate Charts Menu
Cast Free Rotate Create Menu Item
Cast Free Rotate Edit Menu Item
Cast Free FTL Create Menu Item
Cast FTL Edit Menu Item
Cast Free FTL Fit To Cast Menu Item
Custom Arm Animations Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Properties Menu Choice
If you select cast members and choose this menu choice, the Cast Properties Dialog appears which will allow you to change properties for the cast members.
If you choose one single cast member, all the properties are enabled.
If you choose multiple cast members, the first name field and last name field are disabled. So setting properties for multiple cast members will not affect their first and last names.
The outline color for a cast member is also the color that will be used when the cast member is displayed as a letter or number symbol instead of a shape symbol in 2D mode. Use the View Options Dialog to choose how cast members are displayed.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Transition Mode Menu Choice
You can use this command to change the transition mode of selected cast members.
You have to select cast members on the ENDING form of a transition.
If you are changing the cast members to follow mode, you have to select all the cast members on the form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Caption Position Menu
Use the commands on this menu to adjust caption positions for cast. The positions you define only apply to the current set.
Cast caption positions are determined automatically by the software. Occasionaly the positions chosen may seem crowded or awkward. In this case, you can use the commands on this menu to set fixed positions for those captions which look awkward, leaving the other captions automatically positioned.
To adjust cast captions, select the cast whose caption positions you want to change, and use the commands on the menu, or use the keystroke shortcuts defined. CTRL+K cycles through the fixed positions. CTRL+J sets the captions back to automatic positioning.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Make Cast Menu Item
This menu item (a submenu of the Cast menu) groups together commands relating to adding cast to your show.
Add Default Cast Menu Choice
Create Cast Menu Item
Cast Clone Menu Choice
Manage Cast Menu Choise
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Make Cast Menu Item
Add Default Cast Menu Choice
This menu item is found under the "Make Cast" submenu.
If you choose this menu item, it adds a pre-defined cast to your show.
The pre-defined cast will have sections and uniforms already defined. You can alter the cast, or delete or add members, until you have something suitable for your needs.
Starting with a default cast may sometimes be easier than building a cast from scratch.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Make Cast Menu Item
Create Cast Menu Item
This menu item is found under the "Make Cast" submenu. This menu item invokes the Create Cast dialog, which lets you create a certain number of cast members of each section type.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Make Cast Menu Item
Cast Clone Menu Choice
This menu item is found under the "Make Cast" submenu. To use this command, select one or more cast members you want to clone. Then choose this command. You will end up with copies of the cast members you chose. The new cloned cast members will have the same colors, sections, and uniforms as the ones you selected.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Make Cast Menu Item
Manage Cast Menu Choise
This menu choice is found under the "Make Cast" submenu. It allows you to change all settings for each cast member on a single dialog.
This menu choice invokes the Manage Cast Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Delete Menu Choice
Choose this menu choice to delete selected cast members.
Selecting Cast Members
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Edit Cast Changes Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Uniform Change Library Dialog, which allows you to define a library of animations, uniform changes and equipment changes which you can then apply to cast members.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Apply Cast Changes Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Cast Change dialog, which allows you to apply a cast change ( animation, uniform change, or equipment change ) to the selected cast members. By default the animation you add will take placet on the current step, but you can change it to any step.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Blend Flag Animations Menu Item
This menu item fills in flag animations for selected cast members.
To use the command, select the cast members whose animation changes you want to blend.
You can define flag animations for cast members using the Apply Cast Changes menu item. Before you blend flag animations you should have the animations defined for all of your color guard. The Blend command just fills in the empty space in between the animations you defined explicitly.
Use the Apply Cast Changes and the Edit Cast Changes menu items to define specific flag animations through the entire show. When you have all the animations that you want, use the Blend Flag Animations command to fill in the gaps.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Unblend Flag Animations Menu Item
This menu item removes any animations which were added by the Blend command, for selected cast.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Flag Machine Menu Item
The Flag Machine is the best and easiest way to add flag animations to your show.
To invoke the Flag Machine dialog and create flag movements, click this menu item.
For more information about how to use the Flag Machine, click here.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Custom Animations Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Custom Animations dialog, which lets you define custom animations for cast members which can then be programmed to occur during your show just like other animations.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Select Menu Item
This menu item, a submenu of the Cast menu, groups together commands related to selecting performers in your show.
Select Sections Menu Item
Select By Equipment Menu Choice
Select On Selected Forms Menu Choice
Cast Select Skipping Menu Item
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Select Menu Item
Select Sections Menu Item
This menu item is found under the "Select" submenu on the "Cast" menu.
This menu item invokes the Select Sections Dialog, which allows you to choose cast sections.
You can select all the brass section cast members, by choosing this menu item, selecting the Brass section in the dialog, and clicking OK.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Select Menu Item
Select By Equipment Menu Choice
This menu item is found under the "Select" submenu on the "Cast" menu.
This menu choice allows you to select cast members by their equipment ( for example flags, trombones, clarinets ).
It invokes the Select By Equipment Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Select Menu Item
Select On Selected Forms Menu Choice
This menu item is found under the "Select" submenu on the "Cast" menu.
This menu choice causes only those cast members that are on the selected forms, to become selected.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Select Menu Item
Cast Select Skipping Menu Item
This menu item is found under the "Select" submenu on the "Cast" menu.
Use this menu item to invoke the Cast Select Skipping Dialog, which allows you to select every other cast member, every third cast member, and so forth.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Create Formation From Selected Cast
To use this command, select one or more cast members and then click on the command.
You will see the Create Form From Cast Dialog which will allow you do choose a shape.
Choose a shape and click OK, and a new form will be created at the current step which has the selected cast members on it.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Reverse Selected Cast Menu Choice
Use this menu choice to reverse the order of selected cast members on a form.
Selecting Cast Members
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Arrange Menu
This menu item contains submenu items that allow you to arrange cast members that are on free forms.
All of the menu items can be accessed with keystrokes. For a list of keystrokes, see Keystroke Shortcuts
Cast Arrange Arc Increase Menu Item
Cast Arrange Arc Decrease Menu Item
Cast Arrange Rotate Clockwise Menu Item
Cast Arrange Rotate Counterclockwise Menu Item
Cast Arrange Block Menu Item
Cast Arrange Circle Menu Item
Cast Arrange Line Menu Item
Cast Arrange Expand Menu Item
Cast Arrange Shrink Menu Item
Cast Arrange Expand Horizontal Menu Item
Cast Arrange Shrink Horizontal Menu Item
Cast Arrange Expand Vertical Menu Item
Cast Arrange Shrink Vertical Menu Item
Cast Arrange Reverse Order Menu Item
Cast Arrange Cycle Order Menu Item
Cast Arrange Even Spacing (Open) Menu Item
Cast Arrange Even Spacing (Closed) Menu Item
Cast Arrange Skew Selected Cast Left or Right
Cast Arrange Skew Selected Cast Up or Down
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Arc Increase Menu Item
This menu item arranges selected cast members into an arc. Repeat this key to change the depth of the arc. All selected cast members must be on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Arc Decrease Menu Item
This menu item arranges selected cast members into an arc. Repeat this key to change the depth of the arc. All selected cast members must be on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Rotate Clockwise Menu Item
This menu item rotates selected cast members clockwise, provided they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Rotate Counterclockwise Menu Item
This menu item rotates selected cast members counterclockwise, provided they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Block Menu Item
This command arranges selected cast members into a block if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Circle Menu Item
This command arranges selected cast members into a circle if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Line Menu Item
This command arranges selected cast members into a line if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Expand Menu Item
This command expands the relative spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Shrink Menu Item
This command shrinks the relative spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Expand Horizontal Menu Item
This command expands the relative horizontal spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Shrink Horizontal Menu Item
This command shrinks the relative horizontal spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Expand Vertical Menu Item
This command expands the relative vertical spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Shrink Vertical Menu Item
This command shrinks the relative vertical spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Reverse Order Menu Item
This command reverses the order of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Cycle Order Menu Item
This command cycles the order of selected cast members if they are on free forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Even Spacing (Open) Menu Item
This command evens out the spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms. This is for open shapes.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Even Spacing (Closed) Menu Item
This command evens out the spacing of selected cast members if they are on free forms. This is for closed shapes.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Skew Selected Cast Left or Right
These commands operate on selected cast that are on free forms. They skew selected cast to the right or left.
You can use the keystrokes k and K to operated these commands.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu >> Cast Arrange Menu
Cast Arrange Skew Selected Cast Up or Down
These commands operate on selected cast that are on free forms. They skew the selected cast up or down.
You can use the keystrokes j or J to operate these commands.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Show Step Instructions Menu Choice
This menu choice opens a document showing the step instructions for the selected cast members.
You can print the contents of the document from the application it displays in.
Selecting Cast Members
Step Instruction Options Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Print Coordinate Charts Menu
This menu item allows you to print coordinate charts for the selected cast members.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Free Rotate Create Menu Item
This is a command for a type of transition that uses free forms. To create this type of transition, you have to be on the end step of the transition, so you will have already created a new set by using another transition command such as Float, or by using the Forms Set command. Make sure you are then on the end step of the transition when using this command.
This allows you to create a free rotate. This is a different kind of transition from the Pivot transition and can only be used on free forms. You must select some cast members before selecting the Free Rotate create command.
You will see a rotation point when in the free rotate creation mode. Drag the rotation point with your mouse to select the location around which to rotate. Use the [ and ] keys to rotate the cast members the desired amount.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Free Rotate Edit Menu Item
This is a command for a type of transition that only applies to cast members on free forms. To create this type of transition, you have to be on the end step of the transition, so you will have already created a new set by using another transition command such as Float, or by using the Forms Set command. Make sure you are then on the end step of the transition when using this command.
This allows you to edit a free rotate. This is a different kind of transition from the Pivot transition and can only be used on free forms. You must select some cast members before selecting the Free Rotate create command. To edit a free rotate transition, select all and only those cast members that were previously in the transition.
You will see a rotation point when in the free rotate creation mode. Drag the rotation point with your mouse to select the location around which to rotate. Use the [ and ] keys to rotate the cast members the desired amount.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Free FTL Create Menu Item
This is a command for a type of easy Follow The Leader transition that uses free forms. To create this type of transition, you have to be on the end step of the transition, so you will have already created a new set by using another transition command such as Float, or by using the Forms Set command. Make sure you are then on the end step of the transition when using this command.
Use this command to create a free FTL ( follow the leader ) transition. This is different from the standard Follow The Leader transition and uses a Free Form as its ending form. To begin, click the menu command for Create Free FTL. Then, click the cast members you want to be in the FTL one at a time, beginning with the trailer ( the opposite of the leader -- this is the one who is last in line ) and then click or drag with the mouse to draw the path you want them to follow. Double click to end and finish the FTL.
It is possible to create a free FTL with only one person.
To edit an FTL you have created, to to the end step of the FTL, select some or all cast members participating in the FTL, and use the Cast Free FTL Edit Menu Item
You can also make the path of the FTL conform to the performers. To do this, use the Cast Free FTL Fit To Cast Menu Item command. You must already be editing a free FTL to use that command.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast FTL Edit Menu Item
Use ths command to edit the path for an existing FTL transition or standard Follow the Leader transition.
A free FTL transition is different from the standard Follow The Leader transition and is only for free forms. To begin, first select all and only those cast members who are in one existing FTL transition. Then click the menu command to edit an FTL.
A free FTL does not have to start on a free form, but it does have to end on a free form. To create this type of transition, you have to be on the end step of the transition, so you will have already created a new set by using another transition command such as Float, or by using the Forms Set command. Make sure you are then on the end step of the transition when using this command.
You will see the path points of the existing FTL. You can drag the points to move them. You can also right click on a point to delete it or add another point next to it. Double click to finish.
It will often be necessary to use this command to correct the FTL path if you have move the positions of the cast members after the FTL was created.
To finish the edit and keep your changes, you must double click to finish the FTL. If you change to another step of the show by using the timeline or any of the motion commands, the FTL edit is cancelled and your changes will be lost.
When editing a free FTL, you will see rectangles that indicate the position of the cast members at the beginning of the free FTL transition.
When using this command to edit a standard Follow The Leader transition, you can create a path for the performers to follow from the origin form to the target form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Cast Free FTL Fit To Cast Menu Item
Use this menu item when you are editing a free FTL path. This is for when you have moved the cast that participate in the FTL and you want to fit the FTL path to their new positions. The path may require further editing after you use this command.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Cast Menu
Custom Arm Animations Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Custom Arm Animations dialog which lets you define custom arm animations that can be applied at specific steps for any cast member.
Custom arm animations don't apply to Flag cast members.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Draw menu
Draw Line Menu Choice
Draw Rectangle Menu Choice
Draw Ellipse Menu Choice
Draw Arc Menu Choice
Draw Arc 2 Menu Choice
Draw Polygon Menu Choice
Draw Closed Polygon Menu Choice
Draw Bezier Curve Menu Choice
Draw Hermite Curve Menu Choice
Draw Text Note Menu Choice
Center Drag Menu Choice
Thin Points Menu Choice
Draw Non-Rotate Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Line Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw a Line
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Rectangle Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw a Rectangle
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Ellipse Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw an Ellipse
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Arc Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw an Arc
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Arc 2 Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw an Arc 2
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Polygon Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw a Polygon
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Closed Polygon Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw a Closed Polygon
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Bezier Curve Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw a Bezier Curve
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Hermite Curve Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses a tool which allows you to draw Hermite Curves
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Text Note Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the tool to draw a text note, the same as the Text Note Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Center Drag Menu Choice
This menu choice turns on center drag behavior for shape handles.
Center drag behavior only affects size handles for Ellipse and Arc ( not Arc 2 ) shapes.
If the menu choice is checked, then selecting the menu choice turns center drag off.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Thin Points Menu Choice
This menu choice deletes every other point in a Closed Polygon, Polygon, or Curve.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Draw menu
Draw Non-Rotate Menu Choice
This command works on selected forms that are rotated. It adjusts the position of points in the polygon or curve such that the performers are in exactly the same position, but the form is no longer rotated.
Forms that have lists of points (curves and polygons) will remain the same type of form after executing this command. Other types of forms will be converted to free forms.
If you rotate some polygon shapes when drawing a uniform, it is a good idea to non-rotate the shapes once you get them in their final position. This causes the program to work faster.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Forms Menu
Forms Properties Menu Choice
Forms Transition Menu Choice
Forms Select All Menu Choice
Forms Create new Set Menu Item
Forms Clone Menu Choice Choice
Forms Delete Menu Choice
Forms Copy Menu Choice
Forms Paste Menu Choice
Forms Split Menu Choice
Forms Combine Menu Choice
Forms Add Cast Menu Choice
Forms Reverse Cast Menu Choice
Forms Sort Cast Menu Choice
Forms Align Menu
Forms Center Rotation Point Menu Choice
Forms Flip Horizontal Menu Choice
Forms Flip Vertical Menu Choice
Forms Make Same Size Menu
Forms View List Menu Choice
Forms Delete Empty Forms Menu Choice
Forms Draw Order Menu
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Properties Menu Choice
This menu command displays the Form Properties Dialog which allows you to change properties for the selected forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Transition Menu Choice
This menu item invokes the Transition Dialog which allows you to transition the selected forms and create a new set.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Select All Menu Choice
This command selects all forms on the current step.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Create new Set Menu Item
This menu item is a shortcut for transitioning forms. It creates a new set. If you choose this menu item, it lets you enter a number of steps for the transition but no other options.
The set command will transition every form on the current set that has cast members and all transitions will be float transitions. You don't have to select the forms first.
The current step will become the new set. Then you can create motion by moving or changing the forms on the new set.
The shortcut for this command is CTRL + E
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Clone Menu Choice Choice
This menu choice makes copies of each selected form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Delete Menu Choice
This menu command deletes the selected forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Copy Menu Choice
This menu choice allows you to copy the selected forms into a buffer so that you can paste them to another spot in the show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Paste Menu Choice
This menu choice will paste any forms that you have saved in the buffer using the Forms Copy menu choice.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Split Menu Choice
This command will split the selected forms into a number of forms and assigned any cast members evenly among the split forms.
A dialog will appear which allows you to select the number of forms to split to and the type of shape you want.
Split Forms Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Combine Menu Choice
This command will combine two selected forms. If they are of different shapes, it will take the shape of one of the forms. All cast members on selected forms will be assigned to the one form.
Combine Forms Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Add Cast Menu Choice
This menu item invokes the Add Cast Members Dialog which allows you to create and add new cast members to one selected form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Reverse Cast Menu Choice
This menu item will reverse the order of the cast on a selected form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Sort Cast Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Sort Cast On Form Dialog, which allows you to sort the cast on a selected form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Align Menu
These menu choices align the selected forms.
Forms Align Tops Menu Choice
Forms Align Bottoms Menu Choice
Forms Align Lefts Menu Choice
Forms Align Rights Menu Choice
Forms Align Horizontal Center Menu Choice
Forms Align Vertical Center Menu Choice
Forms Align Make Horizontal
Forms Align Make Vertical
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Tops Menu Choice
Align the tops of selected forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Bottoms Menu Choice
Align the bottoms of selected forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Lefts Menu Choice
Align the left sides of selected forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Rights Menu Choice
Align the right sides of selected forms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Horizontal Center Menu Choice
Center the selected forms horizontally.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Vertical Center Menu Choice
Center the selected forms vertically.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Make Horizontal
This menu choice only applies to selected lines. It makes them horizontal.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Align Menu
Forms Align Make Vertical
This menu choice only applies to selected lines. It makes them vertical.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Center Rotation Point Menu Choice
This command places the rotation point for a form in the center of the shape.
Rotating Forms
Rotate Forms Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Flip Horizontal Menu Choice
Flip the selected forms horizontally.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Flip Vertical Menu Choice
Flip the selected forms vertically.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Make Same Size Menu
Forms Make Same Size Vertical Menu Choice
Forms Make Same Size Horizontal Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Make Same Size Menu
Forms Make Same Size Vertical Menu Choice
This command causes selected forms to be scaled to the same horizontal dimension. All the selected forms will be scaled to the average selected horizontal width.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Make Same Size Menu
Forms Make Same Size Horizontal Menu Choice
This command causes selected forms to be scaled to the same vertical dimension. All the selected forms will be scaled to the average selected vertical width.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms View List Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Forms List Dialog which shows a list of all the forms in the current show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Delete Empty Forms Menu Choice
This command deletes forms that have no cast members.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu
Forms Draw Order Menu
When using the fill property for forms, if you want overlapping forms to display in a certain order, use the command to send them to the front ( display on top ) or the back ( display behind ).
Forms Draw Order Send To Back Menu Choice
Forms Draw Order Bring To Front Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Draw Order Menu
Forms Draw Order Send To Back Menu Choice
This menu command is used to move the selected form to the back of the picture so that other shapes will be drawn after it and so will overlap it. The drawing order only matters when using overlapping shapes that are filled, which is usually the case when drawing uniforms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Forms Menu >> Forms Draw Order Menu
Forms Draw Order Bring To Front Menu Choice
This menu command is used to move the selected form to the front of the picture so that other shapes will be drawn before it and so it will overlap them. The drawing order only matters when using overlapping shapes that are filled, which is usually the case when drawing uniforms.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Animate Menu
These menu items have to do with animating cast when you play a show. They cover music, tempo, video, and other issues related to show animation.
Animate Start Menu Choice
Animate Stop Menu Choice
Animate Step Forward Menu Choice
Animate Step Back Menu Choice
Animate Rewind Menu Choice
Animate Next Set Menu Choice
Animate Previous Set Menu Choice
Animate Go To Step Menu Choice
Animate Music Menu Choice
Animate Play View Changes Menu Item
Animate Edit View Changes Menu Item
Animate Make Video Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Start Menu Choice
This menu choice starts the animation going.
The animation starts from the current step. If the current step is within a MIDI or audio song, the song playback will begin from that count of the song.
If the current step is not within a song, the playback speed will be determined by the internal timer.
You can set the internal timer speed from the Animation Options Dialog
You can add MIDI or audio songs for your show from the Music Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Stop Menu Choice
This menu choice stops the animation and music playback.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Step Forward Menu Choice
This menu choice moves you one step forward.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Step Back Menu Choice
This menu choice moves you one step back.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Rewind Menu Choice
This menu choice returns you to the beginning of the show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Next Set Menu Choice
This menu choice takes you to the next set.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Previous Set Menu Choice
This menu choice takes you to the previous set.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Go To Step Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Go To Step dialog which allows you to go to a certain step in the show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Music Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Music dialog which allows you to add MIDI or audio songs to your show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Play View Changes Menu Item
This item turns the playback of view changes on or off.
If the menu item is checked, playback is on. Select the menu item again to turn playback off.
Playback of view changes only occurs during animation to MIDI music or to the internal timer.
View changes allow you to add automatic scene changes to your show. This can be useful for demos or for making videos. The effects only happen during animation of the show to an internal timer or MIDI music ( in other words when you hit the play button ).
To Record view changes, use the Edit View Changes Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Edit View Changes Menu Item
This menu choice displays the Edit View Changes Dialog which allows you to see the existing view changes you have recorded for your show.
From this dialog box, you can delete individual view changes or clear the whole list. You can also add view changes by clicking the Record button. This will add a view change for the current step. You can interact with other Field Artist controls when the View Changes dialog is displayed. So to record a view change, go to the step you want, set up the view you want to record, and click the record button on the dialog.
When you select a view change in the list, Field Artist displays that view as it will look during animation.
When changing from one view to another during animation, the changes can be animated over a number of counts (Transition Steps) to create smooth transitions from one view to another. When recording a new view change, type in the number of transition steps you want for that view. The larger the number, the longer and more gradual the transition.
If you want to change the number of transition steps for a view change, select that view change in the list, fill in the desired number of steps, and click the Change button.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Animate Menu
Animate Make Video Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes a dialog which lets you produce a video animation of the currently open show, along with audio.
You will see a popup to install the screen recorder the first time you use this menu choice. Please complete the install steps before you continue.
You can upload the videos you make to YouTube.
Click Video Dialog for more information.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
View Menu
Zoom In Menu Item
Zoom Out Menu Choice
Zoom Normal Menu Choice
Zoom Select Menu Choice
View Draft 3D Menu Choice
View True View Menu Item
Slide Picture Tool Menu Choice
View Cycle Camera Position Menu Item
View Choose Camera Position Menu Item
View Refresh Menu Item
View Comments Menu Choice
View Text Notes Menu Item
View Title Page Menu Choice
View Tree View Menu Item
View Capture Field Image Menu Item
View Capture Program Image Menu Item
View History Panels Menu Choice
View Scroll Bars Menu Choice
Show Paths Menu Choice
Show Future Paths Menu Choice
Show Cast Captions Menu Choice
View Undo Record Menu Item
Draw Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
Overview Menu Choice
Time Line Overview Menu Choice
View Snap To Grid Menu Choice
View Show Grid Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Zoom In Menu Item
This menu choice zooms you in. It does the same thing as the Zoom In Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Zoom Out Menu Choice
This menu choice zooms the picture out. It is the same as the Zoom Out Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Zoom Normal Menu Choice
This menu returns to the normal view neither zoomed in nor panned. It does the same thing as the Zoom Normal Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Zoom Select Menu Choice
This menu choice chooses the Zoom Select tool. It does the same thing as the Zoom Select Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Draft 3D Menu Choice
This menu choice turns Draft 3D on or off. It does the same thing as the 3D View Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View True View Menu Item
The True View menu item ( CTRL+X ) shows your show in a more realistic view similar to a video game.
Click the True View menu choice again or type CTRL+X to get out of True View.
Within True View, the cast members are animated to music or the internal timer. They also move their feet and respond to instrument positions, flag movements, and other animations.
Within True View, drag the mouse on the view area to rotate the view or adjust the camera height. You can also use the rotation panel at the bottom and the height panel at the right side. You can always rotate the view using the mouse unless the cast tool is selected. If the cast tool is selected, you use the mouse to click on cast members to select them within TrueView.
In True View, you can use the Cycle Camera Position menu item ( CTRL-Q ) to cycle the camera through some pre-defined views.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Slide Picture Tool Menu Choice
This menu option chooses the slider tool for panning your view of the field. It does the same thing as the Slide View Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Cycle Camera Position Menu Item
While in True View, use this menu item ( CTRL-Q ) to change camera angles. Hitting CTRL-Q will cycle through these views:
Home Pressbox
Visitor Pressbox
50 Yard Line ground level
Cast member point of view ( select a cast member using the Select Cast Tool first )
Normal ( when it normal mode, drag the mouse in the view area to rotate the camera position and move the height up or down )
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Choose Camera Position Menu Item
While in True View, this menu choice lets you choose a camera position from a submenu. For more information, see Cycle Camera Position
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Refresh Menu Item
Click this item ( or use the keyboard shortcut, F5 ) to refresh the view if it is out of synch after you have edited something.
In particular, this forces the True View to be rebuilt.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Comments Menu Choice
This menu choice displays a dialog which allows you to add, delete, or change comments for your show.
Comments Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Text Notes Menu Item
This command displays a dialog which lets you view and edit all the text notes in your show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Title Page Menu Choice
This menu choice allows you to enter title page information for your show. It displays the Title Page Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Tree View Menu Item
This menu choice displays a tree view of your show which shows each set, the forms that belong to each set, and the cast members assigned to each form on each set.
Show Tree View Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Capture Field Image Menu Item
This menu item allows you to capture an image of the current field view and save it to a .gif file.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Capture Program Image Menu Item
This menu item captures an image of the entire Field Artist program main window.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View History Panels Menu Choice
Use this menu choice to turn the display of the history panels on or off.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Scroll Bars Menu Choice
This menu choice will toggle the scroll bars for the main field view on or off.
You may not find that you need the scroll bars if you use the Slide View Toolbar Button to move the view around.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Show Paths Menu Choice
You can use this menu choice to turn on or off the display of paths from the previous set to the current step.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Show Future Paths Menu Choice
You can use this menu choice to turn on or off the display of paths from the current step to the next set.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Show Cast Captions Menu Choice
You can use this menu choice to turn on or off the display of cast member captions. The captions appear near the symbol for each cast member on the field. They can be the unique id number of that cast member, the cast member's letter symbol, or the index of that cast member on the form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Undo Record Menu Item
This command shows a dialog which lets you see all your undo actions. You can use the list to review what you have done and undo or redo to a certain point.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Draw Uniforms / Equipment Menu Choice
Use this menu choice to change to Draw Uniforms mode, where you can define custom uniforms and equipment for your cast members.
In draft 3D mode, the drawings you see in here are combined to make the uniform and equipment ( instruments or flags ) for each cast member.
You can also define props by using this feature. Flat upright props can be drawn and chosen as a uniform for cast members. These upright props are displayed in draft 3D mode and also in TrueView mode.
Colorguard equipment drawings that you make in this feature can also be used as 3D colorguard equipment choices for TrueView. In the Flag Designer Dialog under True View Options, you can specify the name of a drawing you have saved in the Draw Uniforms / Equipment feature, and that drawing will be used to create a 3D flag model.
Click the link below for more information on how to use this feature:
Draw Uniforms / Equipment Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Overview Menu Choice
Using this menu choice will turn on the overview panel, which presents an overview of your show.
Choose the menu choice again to return to the normal field view.
If you double click on the open area of either overview panel, you will return to the main view.
Overview Toolbar Button
Overview Panel
Overview Time Line Panel
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
Time Line Overview Menu Choice
Using this menu choice will turn on the Time Line overview panel, which presents an overview of your show using a time line.
Choose the menu choice again to go to the overview panel.
If you double click on the open area of either overview panel, you will return to the main view.
Overview Toolbar Button
Overview Panel
Overview Time Line Panel
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Snap To Grid Menu Choice
This menu choice toggles the Snap To Grid option. This option is also available as a check box on the View Options form. The shortcut key is S.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> View Menu
View Show Grid Menu Choice
This menu choice toggles the option for Show Grid. This option is also available as a check box on the View Options form. The shortcut key is G.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Options Menu
Sections Options Menu Choice
Field Options Menu Choice
View Options Menu Choice
Step Instructions Options Menu Choice
Colors Options Menu Choice
Animation Options Menu Choice
Allow Undo
Password Protect Show Menu Item
True View Options
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
Sections Options Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Sections Dialog which allows you to define sections for your cast members.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
Field Options Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Field Options Dialog which allows you to define your field lines and dimensions.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
View Options Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the View Options Dialog, which allows you to set options about how the show is displayed, such as whether paths are displayed or whether cast member ID numbers are shown.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
Step Instructions Options Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Step Instruction Options Dialog, which allows you to define reference points for step instructions, as well as options which influence how the step instructions are made, such as what units to use for offsets, and what format to write the instructions in.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
Colors Options Menu Choice
This menu choice invokes the Colors Dialog, which allows you to set many colors that are used in the program. The colors you define are saved as part of a show and apply to that show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
Animation Options Menu Choice
This menu choice takes you to the Animation Options dialog which allows you to set your timer tempo and other options.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
Allow Undo
This menu item enables or disables undo.
If undo is enabled, this menu item is checked, and choosing it will disable undo.
If undo is disabled, this menu item is not checked, and choosing it will enable undo.
Turning off undo will allow your editing to work a little bit faster.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
Password Protect Show Menu Item
This menu item invokes the Password Protect Show Dialog, which allows you to add password protection to your show, or to remove password protection from a show.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Options Menu
True View Options
This command invokes a dialog that lets you change options for the True View.
To switch to True View, choose True View from the view menu or type CTRL + X.
The True View is more similar to a video game with true dimensional characters who move their feet and instruments and face different directions, plus a simulated environment with textures, scenery and lighting.
The True View options dialog has two buttons which allow you to define the colors and appearance of flags and uniforms for your band in True View.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Help Menu
Help Menu Choice
About Menu Choice
Raven Labs Menu Choice
View Error Log Menu Item
Clear Error Log Menu Item
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Help Menu
Help Menu Choice
Choosing Help from the Help menu brings up this help file in your browser. You can close the help file when you are finished reading, or leave it open while you work in Field Artist.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Help Menu
About Menu Choice
This menu option brings up a dialog that shows the version of Field Artist you have. If you click on the link, it takes you to the Raven Labs website.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Help Menu
Raven Labs Menu Choice
This menu item opens the Raven Labs / Field Artist Central website.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Help Menu
View Error Log Menu Item
This command lets you view the Field Artist error log. If you are having a problem and email in a question about a problem, especially if it concerns an error message, its a good idea to attach the error log file to your email.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Help Menu
Clear Error Log Menu Item
This menu item lets you clear the error log.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Shapes Menu
This menu only appears when in Uniform Drawing mode.
Shapes Clone Menu Choice
Shapes Delete Menu Choice
Shapes Properties Menu Choice
Shapes Align Menu
Shapes Flip Horizontal Menu Choice
Shapes Flip Vertical Menu Choice
Shapes Make Same Size Menu
Shapes Draw Order Menu
Shapes Copy Menu Choice
Shapes Paste Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Clone Menu Choice
This menu choice makes copies of selected shapes, in Uniform Drawing mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Delete Menu Choice
This menu choice deletes selected shapes, in Uniform Drawing mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Properties Menu Choice
This menu choice displays the Shape Properties Dialog, which allows you to change colors and other properties for shapes in Uniform Drawing Mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Align Menu
These menu choices allow you to align shapes in Uniform draw mode.
Shapes Align Tops Menu Choice
Shapes Align Bottoms Menu Choice
Shapes Align Lefts Menu Choice
Shapes Align Rights Menu Choice
Shapes Align Horizontal Center Menu Choice
Shapes Align Vertical Center Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Align Menu
Shapes Align Tops Menu Choice
This menu choice Aligns the tops of selected shapes in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Align Menu
Shapes Align Bottoms Menu Choice
This menu choice aligns the bottoms of selected shapes in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Align Menu
Shapes Align Lefts Menu Choice
This menu choice left aligns selected shapes in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Align Menu
Shapes Align Rights Menu Choice
This menu choice right aligns selected shapes in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Align Menu
Shapes Align Horizontal Center Menu Choice
This menu choice horizontally aligns selected shapes in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Align Menu
Shapes Align Vertical Center Menu Choice
This menu choice aligns selected shapes vertically in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Flip Horizontal Menu Choice
This menu choice flips selected shapes horizontally in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Flip Vertical Menu Choice
This menu choice flips selected shapes vertically in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Make Same Size Menu
Shapes Make Same Size Vertical Menu Choice
Shapes Make Same Size Horizontal Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Make Same Size Menu
Shapes Make Same Size Vertical Menu Choice
This menu choice makes selected shapes the same height in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Make Same Size Menu
Shapes Make Same Size Horizontal Menu Choice
This menu choice makes selected shapes the same width in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Draw Order Menu
Shapes Send To Back Menu Choice
Shapes Bring To Front Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Draw Order Menu
Shapes Send To Back Menu Choice
This menu choice sends the selected shape to the back of the draw order in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu >> Shapes Draw Order Menu
Shapes Bring To Front Menu Choice
This menu choice brings the selected shape to the front of the draw order in Uniform draw mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Copy Menu Choice
This menu choice allows you to copy the selected shapes into a buffer so that you can paste them into another uniform drawing.
This makes it easy to re-use shapes you have created for making different uniforms.
To re-use a shape or group of shapes in a different uniform, select the ones you want to re-use and choose the Shapes Copy menu item. Then select the uniform you want to copy them to from the list, and choose the Shapes Paste menu item.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Shapes Menu
Shapes Paste Menu Choice
This menu choice allows you to paste shapes you have saved in the buffer using the Copy Shapes command, and add them to the current uniform.
This makes it easy to re-use shapes you have created for making different uniforms.
To re-use a shape or group of shapes in a different uniform, select the ones you want to re-use and choose the Shapes Copy menu item. Then select the uniform you want to copy them to from the list, and choose the Shapes Paste menu item.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu
Online Menu
This menu is for online features.
The online features only work if you are connected to the internet. They work better if you have a broadband connection such as a cable modem or DSL.
You have to be connected to the internet periodically to re-validate the software. This is necessary to prevent copyright infringement and make sure we can continue to offer Field Artist at a reasonable price.
Online Validate Menu Item
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Main Menu >> Online Menu
Online Validate Menu Item
This menu item invokes a dialog that lets you enter your username and password.
Trial users have to enter their username every time they use the software. For full users it's not necessary to enter your username every time you use the software, just every few days.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus
Popup Menus
Popup menus appear when you right click on a cast member, a form, or a point handle. They give you choices that apply only to the object you clicked on.
Cast Popup Menu
Forms Popup Menu
Field Popup Menu
Points Popup Menu
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus
Cast Popup Menu
If you right click on a cast member, you get popup menu of commands that apply to that cast member. When you right click on a cast member, that cast member becomes the only one selected. So if you want to change the properties for multiple cast members, you have to select the cast members and then use one of the Cast menu options on the main menu.
Cast Trailer Popup Menu Item
Cast Leader Popup Menu Item
Cast Properties Popup Menu Item
Cast Step Instructions Popup Menu Item
Cast Print Coordinate Chart Popup Menu Item
Line / Curve / Free / Arc / Ellipse / Polygon
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Cast Popup Menu
Cast Trailer Popup Menu Item
This command causes the selected cast member to become the trailing member in a follow transition. This only applies to the single cast member that you right clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Cast Popup Menu
Cast Leader Popup Menu Item
This command causes the selected cast member to become the leader in a follow transition. This command only applies to the single cast member that you right clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Cast Popup Menu
Cast Properties Popup Menu Item
This popup menu choice shows a dialog that allows you to change the properties for a cast member.
When you right click on a cast member, you are only changing properties for that single cast member.
If you want to change properties for multiple cast members, you can select the cast members, then select the Properties choice from the Cast menu on the main menu, or press the Enter key.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Cast Popup Menu
Cast Step Instructions Popup Menu Item
This command allows you to show the step instructions for a single cast member that you right clicked on.
To show step instructions for multiple cast members, select the cast members and use the Show Step Instructions menu item on the main menu.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Cast Popup Menu
Cast Print Coordinate Chart Popup Menu Item
This menu item prints a coordinate chart for the cast member that you right-clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Cast Popup Menu
Line / Curve / Free / Arc / Ellipse / Polygon
These commands only appear on the cast member popup menu when you right click on a cast member with the cast tool and more than one cast member is selected.
They allow you to create a new form of the selected type from the selected cast members.
The selected cast member will be removed from any formations they are currently on, and added to the new formation.
One of the things this is useful for is for temporarily assigning free form cast members to a more structured form such as a curve. You can then edit the resulting curve or other form with the mouse and either leave it in that form or convert it back to a free form.
The selected cast members can be on different forms. They will be removed from their current form and placed on the new form in the best fit that the program can determine. It may be necessary to further edit the form and the order of the people on it to get the desired positions.
By default, these commands determine a best fit for the selected cast based on their physical layout. For forms that have two definite endpoints, such as arcs, lines or curves, this works best when the cast are more or less in a smooth line-like arrangement with no gaps or sharp corners.
If the program cannot determine automatically what order to put the cast in on the new form, it gives you the option to arrange the cast based on the order they were selected in.
When creating a form from selected cast causes some of the cast to be removed from other forms, the other forms will be automatically converted to Free Forms, so as to keep the remaining people in the same positions they were in before.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus
Forms Popup Menu
If you right click on a form outline with the Forms Select tool, you get a popup menu of commands which apply to a form.
Add Cast Popup Menu Choice
Form Properties Popup Menu Choice
Form Delete Popup Menu Choice
Transition Popup Menu Choice
Reverse Cast Popup Menu Choice
Forms Split Popup Menu Choice
Form Center Rotation Point Popup Menu Choice
Sort Cast Popup Menu Choice
Transition Mode
Form Follow Popup Menu Choice
Form Float Popup Menu Choice
Form Line / Free / Curve / Arc / Ellipse
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Add Cast Popup Menu Choice
This popup menu is used to add cast to a form.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Form Properties Popup Menu Choice
Use this popup menu item to invoke the Form Properties Dialog for a form you right-clicked on and change its properties.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Form Delete Popup Menu Choice
Use this popup menu choice to delete the form you right-clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Transition Popup Menu Choice
Use this popup menu choice to transition a form you right-clicked on. This will invoke the Transition Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Reverse Cast Popup Menu Choice
Use the popup menu choice to reverse the order of cast members on a form you right-clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Forms Split Popup Menu Choice
Use this popup menu choice to split a form you right-clicked on.
This works the same as this menu choice: Forms Split Menu Choice and invokes the Split Forms Dialog
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Form Center Rotation Point Popup Menu Choice
This command places the rotation point for a form in the center of the shape.
Rotating Forms
Rotate Forms Toolbar Button
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Sort Cast Popup Menu Choice
This forms context menu choice will invoke the Sort Cast Dialog, which allows you to sort the cast on the form in a variety of ways.
This does the same thing as the Forms Sort Cast Menu Choice
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Transition Mode
This menu choice allows you to specify a transition mode for every cast member on the formation you right clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Form Follow Popup Menu Choice
If you click this menu choice from the Form Context menu, it changes the transition mode of the cast on that form to Follow mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Form Float Popup Menu Choice
If you click this menu choice from the Form Context menu, it changes the transition mode of the cast on that form to Float mode.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Forms Popup Menu
Form Line / Free / Curve / Arc / Ellipse
These popup menu choices give you a quick way to change the form you clicked on to a different shape.
By default, these commands determine a best fit for the cast on the form based on their physical layout. For forms that have two definite endpoints, such as arcs, lines or curves, this works best when the cast are more or less in a smooth line-like arrangement with no gaps or sharp corners.
If the program cannot determine automatically what order to put the cast in on the new form, it gives you the option to arrange the cast based on the order they were selected in.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus
Field Popup Menu
If you right click on an open portion of the field in 2D mode, you get a context menu which lets you select tools.
Forms Select Popup Menu Item
Rotate Forms Popup Menu Item
Cast Select Popup Menu Item
Lasso Popup Menu Item
Cast Shift Popup Menu Item
Slide Picture Popup Menu Item
Draw Line Popup Menu Item
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Field Popup Menu
Forms Select Popup Menu Item
This menu item selects the Forms Select tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Field Popup Menu
Rotate Forms Popup Menu Item
This popup menu item selects the forms rotate tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Field Popup Menu
Cast Select Popup Menu Item
This popup menu item chooses the Cast Select tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Field Popup Menu
Lasso Popup Menu Item
This popup menu choice selects the Lasso tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Field Popup Menu
Cast Shift Popup Menu Item
This popup menu choice selects the shift cast tool
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Field Popup Menu
Slide Picture Popup Menu Item
This popup menu choice selects the slide view tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Field Popup Menu
Draw Line Popup Menu Item
This popup menu choice selects the Draw Line tool.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus
Points Popup Menu
This menu pops up if you right click on a point handle of a polygon, closed polygon, Hermite Curve, or Bezier Curve and lets you add or delete points.
Delete Point Popup Menu Choice
Add Point Popup Menu
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Points Popup Menu
Delete Point Popup Menu Choice
If you right click on a point handle of a polygon or curve, you can see a popup menu. Click Delete to remove the point you clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus >> Popup Menus >> Points Popup Menu
Add Point Popup Menu
If you right click on a point handle of a polygon or curve, you can see a popup menu. Click Add Point to add a point next to the point you clicked on.
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>> Field Artist Help >> Menus
Key Shortcuts
There are keyboard shortcuts for a lot of the menu choices in Field Artist. If you look at the submenus of the main menu, the menu choices have the key shortcuts displayed beside them.
To use a menu choice that has a key shortcut, just press that key or combination of keys.
Click here for a complete list
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>> Field Artist Help
Keystroke Shortcuts
There are many keystroke shortcuts available in Field Artist. Most of them are listed beside the menu choices on the main menu. Here is a complete list:
Enter Key
Invokes the Properties dialog for selected forms ( when the forms select tool is in effect
Invokes the Properties dialog for selected cast members ( when the select Cast Members tool is in effect )
CTRL + S
Saves the current show.
CTRL + O
Open a show
CTRL + p
Print the show
F2
Choose the forms select tool
F3
Choose the rotate tool
F4
Choose the cast tool
F5
Refresh the view. Use this to force the True View to be rebuilt after you have edited something.
F6
Choose the shift cast tool
F7
Choose the custom path tool
F8
Choose the tape measure tool
CTRL + Z
Undo
CTRL + Y
Redo
CTRL + X
True View On/Off
CTRL + I
Insert or delete steps from the show
1
Line Tool
2
Ellipse Tool
3
Rectangle Tool
4
Arc 1 Tool
5
Arc 2 Tool
6
Polygon Tool
7
Closed Polygon Tool
8
Bezier Curve Tool
9
Hermite Curve Tool
CTRL + M
Set transition mode for selected forms
a
Apply uniform / equipment changes or animations to selected cast
members.
CTRL + F
Create a formation from selected cast members
CTRL + E
Set command -- do a float transition for all forms on the current set that have cast members.
(
Arrange the selected cast members into an arc. All the selected cast members must be on free forms. Type the key repeatedly to change the depth of the arc.
)
Arrange the selected cast members into an arc. All the selected cast members must be on free forms. Type the key repeatedly to change the depth of the arc.
]
Rotate selected cast members 5 degrees clockwise . All selected cast must be on free forms.
}
Rotate selected cast members 1 degree clockwise. All selected cast must be on free forms.
[
Rotate selected cast members 5 degrees counterclockwise . All selected cast must be on free forms.
{
Rotate selected cast members 1 degree counterclockwise. All selected cast must be on free forms.
b
Arrange selected cast into a block. All selected cast must be on free forms.
B
Arrange selected cast into a square block. All selected cast must be on free forms.
o
Arrange selected cast into a circle. All selected cast must be on free forms.
l
Arrange selected cast into a line. All selected cast must be on free forms.
L
Arrange selected cast into a horizontal or vertical line. All selected cast must be on free forms.
>
Scale the selected cast larger. All selected cast must be on free forms.
<
Scale the selected cast smaller. All selected cast must be on free forms.
'
Expand the selected cast horizontally. All selected cast must be on free forms.
;
Shrink the selected cast horizontally. All selected cast must be on free forms.
"
Expand the selected cast vertically. All selected cast must be on free forms.
:
Shrink selected cast vertically. All selected cast must be on free forms.
z
Reverse order of selected cast. All selected cast must be on free forms.
v
Cycle order of selected cast. All selected cast must be on free forms.
c
Even out spacing of selected cast (open shape). All selected cast must be on free forms.
C
Even out spacing of selected cast (closed shape). All selected cast must be on free forms.
k
Skew selected cast to the right.
K
Skew selected cast to the left.
j
Skew selected cast up.
J
Skew selected cast down.
CTRL + T
Transition selected forms.
CTRL + A
Select all forms on the current step.
CTRL + C
Copy selected forms
CTRL + V
Paste selected forms
CTRL + R
Reverse cast on the selected forms
Spacebar
Start / Stop animation
g
Show / HIde Snap Grid
s
Toggle Snap To Grid option
t
Forward one step
T
Forward one substep (one animation frame)
r
Backward one step
w
Rewind
y
Go to next set
e
Go to previous set
CTRL + G
Go to step
+
Zoom In
-
Zoom out
=
Zoom to normal view
F9
Slider tool ( slide, scale, rotate picture )
p
Show / hide past paths
f
Show / hide future paths
i
Show / hide cast captions
CTRL + X
Show / turn off True View
CTRL + Q
Cycle camera views in True View
F1
Help
Page Down
Slides your view of the field down in 2D and draft 3D
Page Up
Slides your view of the field up in 2D and draft 3D
End
Slides your view of the field right in 2D and draft 3D
Home
Slides your view of the field left in 2D and draft 3D
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